Whitnall Does Away with Dual Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Role

With the resignation of Rick Elertson, the days of a Whitnall High School assistant principal also serving as that school’s athletic director are over.

On Monday, the Whitnall School Board accepted a proposal by principal Jackie Winter to redistribute the job duties. The district will hire a grades 6-12 athletics/activities director and a part-time assistant principal.

The part-time principal could be a certified teacher, who would split his or her time between teaching and being and administrator, or perhaps a retired principal looking to return to a school.

The impetus for the move was the long hours Elertson and previous athletic directors/assistant principals faced. They’d often get to school at 7 a.m. for their roles as assistant principals and stay as late as 9 p.m. because of evening athletic activities.

Though the move was approved unanimously (board member TJ Anderson was absent), at least two members had concerns. President Bernard Shaw cautioned about blurring the lines between teachers and administrators.

Board member LuAnn Bird agreed.

“How will students know which hat that person is wearing?” she said.

Shaw also questioned the stability of the restructuring.

“It’s part-time now, but a year from now, do we say, you know what, we really need another part-time assistant principal and a fulltime athletic director.”

The moves are not expected to cost any more than the current configuration.