Eugene school district makes sudden dismissal of high school principal, assistant principal
Two Eugene school administrators have been suddenly let go from their roles. As rumors ran rampant in social media posts on Facebook and Reddit over the weekend, no explanation for the dismissal was given.
As of Friday, Churchill High School Principal Missy Cole and Assistant Principal Lance Falcon were no longer active administrators at Churchill, according to a written statement from Eugene School District 4J.
Both were still employed by the district, but specific details about their positions or their future roles were not released.
Cole became Churchill’s principal in the fall of 2022, having worked previously as an assistant principal at the school. Before that, she had been an assistant principal at Thurston High School for eight years. Falcon had been an assistant principal at Churchill since 2020.
Assistant Principal Kim Vangel will continue in her role at Churchill.
The district appointed interim administrators to lead the school, which serves approximately 1,000 students. Larry Williams, 4J’s assistant superintendent for instruction, will oversee the transition and new leadership team “to ensure stability at Churchill,” according to 4J.
“We are excited to introduce a talented group of interim administrators who will begin leading the school,” stated Williams via email. “Each of these leaders brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to supporting our school community.”
The new interim Churchill leadership team consists of four district-level administrators:
- Interim Principal Justin Huntley, who has been a curriculum administrator for 4J for the past six years, launched Eugene Online Academy and led 4J’s K-8 iPad adoption. He has 26 years of experience in education, formerly serving as principal at Perrydale Middle/High School in Amity, assistant principal at Roseburg High School and principal at Sutherlin High School.
- Interim Assistant Principal Rob Hess, who has held several administrative roles in 4J since 2018. He previously was superintendent of Lebanon Community School District.
- Interim Assistant Principal Beth Kruziki, who has 11 years of teaching experience in 4J, mainly at Churchill and ECCO/EOA. After earning her MBA, she transitioned to administration, leading the High School Extended Day program and supporting students in earning their diplomas. She is currently the assistant principal of extended learning for 4J.
- High School Leadership Consultant Casandra Kamens, who has over 20 years of experience in 4J, including leadership roles at Churchill High and at the district level. She is currently the curriculum administrator for extended learning at 4J.
“We understand that leadership changes can bring some uncertainty, but we want to reassure you that our top priority remains the well-being and success of our students,” Williams stated. “The interim leadership team is fully committed to leading with care, dedication and a strong focus on creating a positive environment for everyone at Churchill.”
There was no timeline set for selecting or searching for permanent administrators at Churchill.
Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Eugene 4J dismisses Churchill principal, assistant principal
