Students and community protest plan to reassign Ottabon High principal; board records contested personnel motion

Hundreds of students, parents, teachers and alumni packed the auditorium at the Audubon Public School District board meeting on June 15 to protest a proposed reassignment of Ottabon Junior‑Senior High School principal Mr. Le to Mansion Avenue School.

Students and community members used the public-comment portion of the agenda to urge the board to keep the principal at the high school, citing his daily presence at events, hands‑on work with students through a principal advisory council, and the perceived effect on school morale. Multiple students described Mr. Le as an approachable leader who they said helped create safe, student‑driven programs; a petition with more than 1,600 signatures in support of keeping him at the high school was referenced during public testimony.

A parent and community speaker also read a formal statement naming a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Sandra Allen and requested an independent review into personnel and leadership decisions, transparency about administrative hiring and the reasons behind the reassignment, and a public account of how the district will protect student success and staff morale. The board acknowledged the comments and extended public session to allow multiple speakers to be heard.

Human resources committee members then presented a slate of personnel motions, which included the transfer of Mr. Le to Mansion Avenue School. The transcript shows extended debate and a roll‑call vote on the human resources slate; the meeting record states "all motions passed except number five," indicating at least one personnel motion was opposed and did not pass on that roll call. The transcript does not contain a clear, separately read final outcome text describing the specific disposition of the principal reassignment beyond that roll‑call summary. The board chair asked the public for civility and said the board had listened to the community’s concerns.

Board and district officials said certain personnel discussions required confidentiality at stages and that some steps (background checks, official postings, or contractual steps) must be completed before a reassignment becomes final. The superintendent and board also scheduled follow-ups: a public meet‑and‑greet and a governance discussion on the AI plan. The district confirmed it will continue the administrative process consistent with policy and with the requirement to balance transparency with personnel privacy.