Blair Oaks School Board unanimously upholds decision to not rehire principal

Blair Oaks Elementary Principal Lorie Winslow won't be back next year.

After meeting in closed session Thursday night to complete its review of the evidence presented during a 14-hour hearing last Saturday, the seven-member board Friday afternoon released a 20-page report, saying it "has decided to affirm its prior decision not to offer employment to Mrs. Winslow ... for the 2012-2013 school year."

In a statement, Winslow said: I have greatly enjoyed my 11 years at Blair Oaks, and will continue working to do the best for our students."

In its "Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Decision" on Winslow's appeal of the Feb. 15 decision against hiring Winslow as principal for a 12th school year, the board reported several conclusions, including:

• "The Board is authorized to refuse to offer employment to a principal for any lawful reason."

• Superintendent Jim Jones recommended that Mrs. Winslow not be offered employment next year for two reasons, including her "repeated failure to complete performance-based teacher evaluations in accordance with Board policy (and her) repeated failure to demonstrate complete candor to her direct supervisor ... regarding the evaluation process."

All seven board members signed the report.

For more coverage of the issue, see Saturday's News Tribune newspaper or e-Edition.