In 21 years as principal, Jim Murphy has steered Shakopee High School through changes that might have been too much for another leader: Construction of a new building. A student body that has more than doubled in size. A big rise in student poverty and diversity.
Now, he's in a storm he may not weather.
Shakopee teachers and parents awoke to uncertainty and finger-pointing in the community on Tuesday after school board members voted Monday night to fire their longtime principal. Their reasons are unclear, but the board had met in closed session to discuss allegations against Murphy related to the alleged theft of more than $168,000 in school funds by his former assistant.
Deanna Stanius was charged with six counts of felony theft by swindle in May, a few weeks after she resigned.
Firing Murphy "seems like an extreme measure, from my limited knowledge," said Judi Tomczik, a Shakopee High teacher who added she wasn't privy to the closed meetings in which the board got legal advice and reached its decision.
"I don't know what was in the lawyer's report," Tomczik said. "My concern is for the various initiatives that the high school is planning for this fall. They're making some really important strides ... and to lose Jim's leadership at this time I think would be unfortunate."
Those initiatives range from efforts to improve students' reading skills to fundraising for construction of a stand-alone science lab next to the school, she said.
The board's resolution, which proposes that Murphy be immediately discharged, passed 5-2, with members Mary Romansky and Kathy Busch dissenting.