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Update on RPS principal replacement

Jeremy M. Lazarus | 5/24/2019, 6 a.m.
Dr. Sherry Wharton-Cary, principal at Elizabeth D. Redd Elementary School, is not among the 10 Richmond principals being replaced, but ...

Dr. Sherry Wharton-Cary, principal at Elizabeth D. Redd Elementary School, is not among the 10 Richmond principals being replaced, but Rose Ferguson, principal of George Mason Elementary, is.

The Free Press incorrectly reported in the April 18-20 edition that Dr. Wharton-Cary was on the list of principals being removed. The report was based on information from two sources.

Neither the Richmond School Board nor the Richmond Public Schools’ administration has publicly released any names.

The newspaper was alerted Sunday through a Facebook post that Dr. Wharton-Cary was not one of the 10 principals. Both sources apologized to the Free Press for naming her rather than Ms. Ferguson. The Free Press regrets the error.

The names of the other nine principals being replaced have been confirmed, the sources said. They include Reva Green at George Wythe High School, Tamera Mines at Thomas Jefferson High School and Dr. William Royal at John Marshall High School.

Also, Cynthia Heckstall at Henderson Middle School, and five additional elementary school principals, Regina Farr at Bellevue, Kate Outten at Blackwell, Ellana Banks at Fairfield Court, Linda Simms at E.S.H. Greene and Kara Lancaster-Gay at Overby-Sheppard.

Ms. Lancaster-Gay is the only principal to appeal the removal decision to the School Board. However, the board voted May 6 to uphold the administration’s decision. Nine of the 10 principals have filed for retirement, resigned or accepted a demotion.

Ms. Outten called the Free Press on Monday to say she decided to resign earlier this year and should not be included among principals whom RPS Chief of Schools Harry Hughes had designated for removal. Ms. Outten did not respond to a Free Press request to provide the date when she filed her resignation.