Principal, 4 others jobless after incident
Staff writer
An incident Thursday at Peabody-Burns Junior High and High School led to special school meetings Friday evening that ended with principal Ryan Bartel no longer being employed by the school.
The district also is advertising for a day-care coordinator, day-care aide, bus driver, and van driver.
Superintendent Antoinette Root, filling in at the Junior High and High School office until a new principal is in place, said the van driver position was being advertised because the district needed another driver, but the other positions were open immediately because of the incident.
“It has to do with both personnel and a student matter,” Root said.
Peabody residents say a child young enough to be in the school district’s day-care was dropped off by the school bus Thursday morning. Although the child rang a bell to be let inside, no one opened the door to let him in.
With 50 degree temperatures and a 16 mph wind, the child walked to his grandmother’s house about a block away and went inside to play.
Later, as his mother drove home from work, she saw him walking down the street.
The family raised complaints about the boy not being able to get inside the school.
Two special board meetings were called, after which Bartel resigned and the day-care coordinator, day-care aide, and bus driver who dropped off the child left employment.