PRINT Pine Creek High School staff, faculty walk out in protest of principal’s removal (copy)
One-third of Pine Creek High School staff and two-thirds of students were absent Friday in response to the removal of Principal Tracie Cormaney two weeks ago.
A coalition of seven teachers and staff members gathered on a sidewalk outside the school early Friday morning to express support for Cormaney, who is on leave, and frustration with the district over how it handled the situation. Pine Creek’s assistant principals are overseeing Cormaney’s responsibilities.
Morale throughout the school has been low in recent weeks, school counselor Kelley Stewart said, while the decision and lack of explanation has reportedly taken a mental toll on faculty who admire Cormaney’s leadership. The school is also struggling with staffing shortages and other challenges.
After mounting pressure from school staff to the district’s Board of Education and Superintendent Jinger Haberer, an all-staff meeting was held Thursday morning with assistant superintendents Cameron Smart and Jim Smith to discuss Cormaney’s absence.
“They said, ‘We’ve seen your emails. We hear you,’ and that’s all they said. And our teachers just berated them with questions because they’re just so upset at this,” Principal Secretary Pam Krzeczowski said. “And they had no answers.”
Smart and Smith also told the staff that they would review policies on how this procedure was handled.
“It actually incited more people to take off today,” Krzeczowski added.
D-20 administrators sent an email to Pine Creek parents and guardians Thursday night informing them of the planned walkout and that operations might be impacted during the school day.
Due to the uncertainty leading up to the school day, students were given the option for an excused absence.
According to the email, 23 staff members were scheduled to be out Friday but reportedly as many as 55 were not in school. An email sent Friday morning by the district’s substitute office listed 10 unfilled openings for the school day.
Haberer, the superintendent, later confirmed that one-third of the school’s staff and two-thirds of its students were out Friday but that all classrooms were covered and “it was business as usual.”
“We understand events like today’s bring about many questions. These situations also create rumors. Personnel matters are confidential, and it is inappropriate for the district to comment,” Haberer wrote via email.
Haberer added that the investigation will take time. Five administrators will be on-site at Pine Creek to help continue operations and address needs going forward.
Cormaney’s leave of absence is in response to an investigation over a program that provides various gifts of appreciation to teachers and staff that has been in place at the school for years. Previous gifts over the years have included holiday meals and apparel gifted to staff.
“And that’s kind of what this is around, some of the staff appreciation items that were passed out,” Krzeczowski said.
She noted that she and other front office staff have been interviewed as part of the investigation and added that proceeds were transparent and reflected in the school’s audits.
A Colorado Springs native, Cormaney joined Pine Creek High School as its principal in 2021 and has worked at area schools for over 30 years as an English teacher, athletic coach and assistant principal.
Cormaney could not be reached for comment Friday.
Teachers and staff felt that their message had been sent loud and clear, but they’re not ruling out additional action going forward.
“We may organize and go to the District 20 Board of Education meeting that’s happening Thursday,” Krzeczowski said.
“We wanted to see what happened today … and see if there’s any notification that Tracie may be back next week. Some teachers have asked about being out on Monday as well. We’re just going to see what happens today.”
Pine Creek High School counselor Kelley Stewart speaks Friday as staff and faculty stage a walkout in support of Principal Tracie Cormaney while she is on administrative leave.
Students arrive at Pine Creek High School on Friday.
