Damakant Jayshi
Weeks before classes are to begin, Wausau School District officials said East High Principal Deb Foster will step away from her role, leaving the school without a permanent leader.
The announcement was made late Thursday.
“We regret to inform you that Mrs. Deb Foster will not be serving as the Wausau East Principal this year,” Wausau School District officials wrote in an email to staff and families of East students. “The search for an interim principal for the school is now underway.”
The email, sent at 8 p.m. Thursday, added that until an interim principal is found other building and district administrators “will continue to support the students and staff at Wausau East High School.”
The development comes in the wake of a special Wausau School Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The agenda for the closed session was posted at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
An email to Foster seeking comment was not immediately returned. Wausau School District issued a press statement early Friday. The district said Foster will “serve in another administrative role.” The district’s Coordinator of Communications & Marketing Diana White termed it “recent administrative changes in the Wausau School District.”
The announcement comes about three weeks after the school board upheld the district administration’s decision to dismiss a complaint filed by a Wausau East counselor over an employment-related matter at the school. What transpired since the July 24 board meeting has not been made public.
Wausau East is not the only school that appears likely to begin the school year without a permanent principal. Amanda Patterson at John Marshall Elementary and Jenny Seymour at Wausau Area Virtual Education (WAVE) have both resigned and accepted other positions, the district said. Those two schools have interim principals in place.
“Other associate principals have also accepted different positions and their roles have been filled with high-quality leaders committed to advancing student learning, achievement, and success,” the press statement added.
Wausau Pilot has reached out to school Board President James Bouche for additional information.
