Five D51 leadership slots open

By Emily Shockley
Thursday, June 21, 2012

Five school administration positions are open at School District 51 schools a little more than eight weeks before the first day of school.

The district is looking for new principals for Dual Immersion Academy, Gateway School and Valley School and new assistant principals for Orchard Mesa Middle School and Fruita 8/9 School.

Former Fruita 8/9 assistant principal Jason Plantiko recently became the school’s new principal following the retirement of the school’s former principal, Cristal Loehr.

Gateway School principal Pat Chapin has been hired to replace Dean Blair this summer as principal of The Career Center following Blair’s retirement.

The principals of Dual Immersion and Valley, Rosa Culver and Brenda Witte, have stepped down, as has former Orchard Mesa Middle School assistant principal Rebecca Schwerdtfeger.

Other shuffling within the district moved former Grand Mesa Middle School teacher Jennifer Smyth into a position as a Central High School assistant principal.

Cindy Granum retired from the position this summer. Former District 51 content specialist Julie Schmalz will replace Chris Capron as administrative intern at Clifton Elementary School.

School Board members will have to approve the hiring of new principals and assistant principals once the district has selected candidates, according to District 51 spokeswoman Christy McGee.

The board’s next meeting is Aug. 7.

While no school principal or assistant principal positions were eliminated as part of the district’s 2012-13 budget cuts, four central administration positions will not be filled next school year.

The district’s former director of communications, Jeff Kirtland, left the district in March and the director of grounds, transportation and building use, Dave Montoya, is retiring. Neither will be replaced.

District 51 Superintendent Steve Schultz confirmed Tuesday at a School Board meeting the other two positions eliminated are the director of human resources, Dawn Hodges, and the district’s maintenance coordinator, Robert Lovato.