Parents speak against principal shake-up at Pierce County school board meeting

Concerned parents spoke at a Peninsula School District School Board of Directors meeting on April 22, raising concerns about incoming principal changes throughout the district.

Six parents from Minter Creek Elementary School spoke during public comment, questioning the rationale for the decision to switch many principals and assistant principals to different schools for the upcoming school year.

At the beginning of public comment, four different Minter Creek Parent-Teacher Association board members spoke one after another, delivering a nearly 10-minute speech about how they believe the changes will negatively impact the school. Two other parents also spoke about the changes.

“We understand the district’s desire to bring fresh perspectives by rotating principles, but research casts doubt on the effectiveness of such a strategy, including the study used by the district to implement this new strategy,” Heather Bruhn, the Minter Creek PTA secretary, told the school board.

Minter Creek PTA President Jessica Gamble told The News Tribune that she was disappointed that the school board members didn’t address the principal transitions at the meeting on April 22. She said dozens of parents attended the meeting to show their support for the PTA members who spoke.

“We want to acknowledge the responsibility each of you carries as elected officials,” she said at the meeting. “You were chosen by this community to represent us, to listen … to ensure that decisions made at the district level reflect the real needs of the families and schools you serve.”

When approached by a News Tribune reporter after the board meeting, school board president Natalie Wimberley said that commenting for the board on some issues requires her to first speak with the district’s attorneys. District spokesperson Jake Voss clarified in a phone call on April 24 that board comments do not need to go through the district’s attorneys, but the district may not comment on issues related to legal matters, human resources or other issues requiring confidentiality, per their attorneys’ advice.

The News Tribune later reached out to each elected PSD school board member and to Superintendent Krestin Bahr for comment. Peninsula School District spokesperson Voss responded with a statement that said the school board supports the staffing reassignments, that the assignments “balance administrator strengths with evolving school needs,” and that the board is “focused on setting measurable academic goals and holding district leadership accountable for results.”

“The district’s executive team has committed to meeting with Minter Creek parents to discuss this transition and address questions,” Voss said in the statement. “Additionally, Superintendent Bahr maintains a collaborative relationship with the Peninsula Education Association, featuring regular transparent discussions about staffing needs throughout the district.”

The changes include reassignments of principals and assistant principals in two high schools, three middle schools and three elementary schools.

Peninsula High School and Gig Harbor High School will trade assistant principals, as will Goodman Middle School and Kopachuck Middle School. Pioneer Elementary’s principal will become principal of Goodman Middle School, while Goodman’s current principal will become the principal of Purdy Elementary. Meanwhile, Purdy Elementary’s current principal will become the principal of Pioneer Elementary. Lastly, Harbor Ridge Middle School’s assistant principal will become principal of Minter Creek Elementary, whose current principal will become the assistant principal of Harbor Ridge Middle.

No changes are planned at Henderson Bay High School, Key Peninsula Middle School, Artondale Elementary, Discovery Elementary, Evergreen Elementary, Harbor Heights Elementary, Swift Water Elementary, Vaughn Elementary and Voyager Elementary.

Gamble told The News Tribune that parents from multiple schools in the district have expressed dismay at the upcoming changes and what they said was a lack of communication and transparency from school district leadership. A majority of the people present at the board meeting on April 22 got up and left about three and a half hours into the meeting, during Superintendent Bahr’s address to the board, just after the parents’ speeches concluded about 9:40 p.m.

The Minter Creek Elementary PTA’s petition against the principal and assistant principal staffing changes, which began days after the changes were announced April 10, has 241 signatures as of April 23.

Parents have also consulted with a lawyer and may consider legal action, Gamble said. No lawsuit has been filed.

“Whether or not people agree with me and our families and our schools, we’re getting people to talk about this and remember that schools are run by tax dollars and we get a say,” she said. “If we’re unhappy, we have to stand up and talk about it.”

Two concerned fathers also spoke during public comment at the meeting, after the PTA speeches.

Chad Schnuelle, a father of two students at Minter Creek Elementary, told the school board that his fourth-grader son thrived under principal Todd Hering’s guidance and work toward an inclusive environment, eventually enabling him to move out of special education services this year. He added that the removal of a principal who had created such positive outcomes at the school was deeply troubling.

Jake Gamble, husband of Jessica Gamble, also spoke at the meeting, emphasizing the need to allow local school communities to benefit from longtime relationships.

“Our children, our families spend time together. It takes years to build that trust. It takes decades to build community,” he said. “These decisions disrupt community, and we ask that you do not make them lightly.”

Staff reporter Julia Park and News Tribune archives contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a clarification from a Peninsula School District spokesperson about the involvement of the district’s attorneys in comments made by the school board.

This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 8:00 AM.