[B]URLINGTON — School Superintendent Yaw Obeng is shaking up the leadership at Burlington High School and Burlington Technical Center.
Just days after the two schools conducted graduation ceremonies, Obeng announced that high school Principal Tracy Racicot is headed back to the technical center, which she directed at one time, and Assistant Principal Noel Green is moving into the role of interim principal at BHS.
Word of the changes came Tuesday by way of Front Porch Forum, an online neighborhood newsletter.
The changes will take place over the summer, Obeng said. On Tuesday, the district posted an employment ad for a high school interim assistant principal.
District spokesperson Russ Elek did not respond to numerous requests for comment on the moves.
Racicot led the regional technical center for one year before being named by Obeng two years ago to serve first as interim then as first-year principal at Burlington High School as part of a districtwide administrator shakeup.
Longtime high school principal Amy Mellencamp was moved to C.P. Smith School before retiring last year. Mellencamp said she believes she was transferred from the high school because she opposed staffing reductions there.
Racicot referred all questions about the administrative switch to Elek. Green, who came to the district two years ago, did not respond to a request for comment.
“We’re all excited about these appointments,” said Obeng.
School Board Chairperson Clare Wool said commissioners did not vote on the administrative switch and were unaware of the changes until Obeng mentioned them.
“It was Yaw’s decision that he shared with us after he assigned Tracy back to BTC,” Wool said.
Feedback from the community centered on why Racicot was moved from the technical center to Burlington High School, the move that occurred two years ago, Wool said.
The question of who was leading the two largest schools in the district came into focus earlier this year after former technical director Adam Provost resigned, citing medical reasons. Racicot also went on a brief personal leave in the fall and returned to her position within weeks, Elek said earlier this year.
In his Front Porch Forum post, Obeng also announced that Graham Clarke, principal at Flynn Elementary, is retiring.
“While this is sad news for our community, it is great news for Graham,” the superintendent said. “We will be working to fill Graham’s position in the coming weeks.”