A popular Germantown elementary school principal has resigned, just a week before the start of the 2025-26 school year, after being on a leave of absence.
After about 27 minutes of deliberation in closed session Aug. 26, the Germantown School Board came into open session and unanimously accepted the resignation of MacArthur Elementary School principal Tony Gonzalez. Parents have been concerned about Gonzalez being on a leave of absence and had demanded answers from the board at its Aug. 19 meeting.
District Superintendent Chris Reuter and School Board President Russell Ewert both declined to comment about Gonzalez’s resignation to reporters after the Aug. 26 meeting.
Reuter sent a letter to parents after the meeting that said Gonzalez chose to resign without an evidentiary hearing before the board. A pre-termination hearing had been scheduled for before the closed session, but that hearing was canceled after Gonzales submitted his resignation letter at about 3 p.m. Aug. 25.
Reuter also said the district will fill the position “with a qualified and experienced candidate as soon as possible.”
Reuter’s Aug. 26 letter did not provide any reason for Gonzalezs’ resignation. The Journal Sentinel has requested a copy of Gonzalez’ resignation letter and is awaiting a response.
The resignation came after Ewert sent a letter earlier this month to MacArthur Elementary School parents that said Gonzalez was on leave and would not return. Ewert said in that letter that Alejandra Ovalle-Krolick, the district’s curriculum, assessment and instructional services coordinator, would take over as MacArthur Elementary’s interim principal. She has been an elementary principal and a middle school assistant principal previously, he said.
Parents upset by principal’s resignation
The situation leading up to Gonzalez’s resignation, and the resignation itself, left parents upset.
Molly Bussie, a parent who had a child attend MacArthur Elementary and another child who currently attends MacArthur, criticized the district’s handling of the situation.
“The actions of the Board and superintendent show disregard for the parents and students at MacArthur (Elementary). The timing of these actions and the way they approached this entire matter illustrate poor planning and lack of proper governance, and are bringing uncertainty and chaos to the beginning of the school year,” Bussie said in an email to a reporter Wednesday.
Parent Eva Kender, who has a child currently attending MacArthur Elementary and another child who previously attended MacArthur Elementary, said Gonzalez made the school a place where families wanted to be.
“He’s made our kids personally feel seen, known, loved, safe, everything you want out of an administrator. And for this to happen unexpectedly, I just can’t imagine any situation that makes this the right thing to do. Those kids at Mac(Arthur) Elementary are going to suffer. The staff is suffering. We’re heartbroken,” said Eva Kender after the meeting.
Nic Kender, Eva Kender’s husband, said he felt let down by the superintendent and the school board.
“It feels like this is a witch hunt for taking out a really good person and a really good administrator,” Kender said.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Germantown elementary school principal who had been on leave resigns
Reporting by Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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