Just over a month after Pine Creek High School Principal Tracie Cormaney was put on administrative leave, the school has begun searching for her replacement.

On March 1, district administration announced to Pine Creek community members that Cormaney would not be returning for the rest of the 2023-24 school year. On Wednesday, it was announced that Todd Morse, a former principal at Pine Creek, would return to that role on an interim basis for the remainder of the school year.

“We appreciate his expertise, his history at the school, and the ability to step-in to support students, staff, and parents through this transition,” an emailed message from the Academy District 20 school to parents said.

The message added that no further explanation would be given because the circumstances surrounding it are “a personnel matter.”

On Friday morning, an opening was listed on D-20’s online job portal for the principal’s position with an estimated start date of July 1.

Several administrators including Assistant Superintendent of Planning & Engagement Jim Smith have stepped in to continue school operations in place of Cormaney.

Cormaney was put on administrative leave in late January with no announcement nor explanation to school staff and faculty. This prompted a walkout weeks later at Pine Creek — both in solidarity for Cormaney and in protest of the lack of transparency from district administration. One third of the school’s staff and two thirds of the student body participated in the walkout.

Ahead of the walkout, then-Principal Secretary Pam Krzeczowski said that Cormaney’s dismissal stemmed from an investigation involving the school’s teacher appreciation program where gifts were distributed to teachers.

The following week, a follow-up protest was held outside the district administration building by students and parents demanding Cormaney be reinstated.

It is unknown if the investigation conducted by the district continues. D-20’s communications department told The Gazette that it is “not able to comment further beyond the information” provided in the two community announcements.

During the public comment period of the district board of education’s Thursday meeting, five students voiced their concerns directly to the board, saying that her absence and the lack of explanation was negatively affecting student morale and prompting numerous teachers and faculty to leave the school over the past month.

Since Cormaney was put on leave, 10 job openings have been posted on the district’s website for Pine Creek, though it is unknown if they are in response to this action.

At the March board meeting, Tim Colgate was introduced as the new assistant principal and athletic director for the school. Colgate most recently served as principal for Nogales High School in Arizona.

Pine Creek also in recent weeks lost its longtime, and highly successful, football coach Todd Miller, who accepted a similar job at Lee’s Summit (Mo.) High School.