By Donald Gilpin

Princeton Public Schools (PPS) has embarked on an accelerated search for a permanent principal for Princeton High School (PHS), “in an effort to move forward and provide stability for the high school community,” according to a July 7 press release.

Eager to put the Frank Chmiel controversy behind them, PPS is focusing on a comprehensive search process with the hope of hiring a new principal by the end of August. Kathie Foster, who has been serving as interim principal at PHS since April, shortly after Chmiel’s dismissal from the position, will remain in the interim role through August 31.

Chmiel was placed on administrative leave on March 17. Amidst much dispute, with hundreds of parents and students calling for his reinstatement, Chmiel and his lawyers appealed the superintendent’s decision to terminate him.  After a five-hour public hearing in May the PPS Board of Education (BOE) voted 8-2 to uphold the superintendent’s decision not to renew Chmiel’s contract for 2023-24.

Last month Chmiel and his lawyers registered an appeal with the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education, and they have put the district on notice of their intention to sue.

In an initial step in the search process, the school district has issued a poll, asking for the community’s input on characteristics that are most critical in the next PHS principal.

“The district will utilize the survey responses during the search process to screen and interview candidates,” the press release states.  The survey presents 11 characteristics — including collaborative, community-focused, compassionate, innovative, trustworthy, and more — that respondents are asked to rank from 0 to 10, from not important to extremely important. There is also a section to provide additional feedback and commentary.

As of July 10 nearly 450 people had responded to the survey, with about 75 percent of the responses coming from current parents and PHS students. The survey was sent to all parents, all district employees, current students, and graduates from the classes of 2023, 2022, and 2021.

The survey will remain open through next week, after which, “We’ll review the responses, identify common themes, and share the findings with the public,” said PPS Superintendent Carol Kelley.

The PHS principal position was posted on July 10 on the district website and will be promoted widely through educator recruitment networks.  The district is in the process of forming a search committee of stakeholders including key district administrators, employees, parents, a Board of Education observer, and a representative from Cranbury. The committee will screen and interview qualified candidates. 

“While ambitious, the district hopes to hire a new principal by the end of August,” the press release states. Kelley added, in an email, “While we have an ambitious timeline and would like to have a candidate approved in August, we will not rush the process. Choosing the most qualified candidate who is excited to be in the role and who possesses all of the characteristics our community is looking for remains our focus.”

Kelley expressed her gratitude to Foster for her leadership of the high school over the past months, but noted, “As a retired superintendent [Robbinsville Public School District, 2016-2020], Dr. Foster is not available for permanent long-term employment at this time.” Kelley added that they expected a number of internal and external candidates to apply for the position.

Board of Education President Dafna Kendal added, “We recognize that the search for a new principal is important to our entire community. Our goal is to find an exceptional candidate who will lead Princeton High School for many years to come.”