Princeton Students Back Principal After Possible Contract Termination

PRINCETON, NJ – Princeton High School students have started an online petition urging the school Superintendent to renew the contract of Principal Frank Chmiel. Students say Superintendent Carol Kelley has “recommended the termination” of Chmiel’s contract.

Chmiel was appointed principal last year and assumed his role on July 1, 2021. Read More: Frank Chmiel To Be Named New Principal of Princeton High School

“As seniors, we have gone through three principals, and not one has made us feel like a respected part of the PHS community like Principal Chmiel has,” Kyara Torres-Olivares and Joycelyn Brobbey said in the change.org petition.

“He has been tremendously supportive of all issues presented to him both in confidence and in our student advisory meetings. Any matters from gender equality to race/cultural equity were given equal consideration. He has used his status as a way to bridge the gap between minority students and administrators.”

Torres-Olivares and Brobbey, both seniors at PHS also sent a letter to Kelley, expressing their support for Chmiel.

The change.org petition has gathered over 800 signatures in less than 24 hours.

In the petition, students highlighted the various initiatives undertaken by Chmiel to "bridge the gap between minority students and administrators.” The programs he spearheaded gave all students the opportunity “to learn about diverse cultures,” the students said.

“We speak for all students when we say we appreciate his warm nature,” Torres-Olivares and Brobbey said.

“We hope he remains Principal of PHS for years to come to allow all students to experience the inclusivity we have felt this year.”

A longtime Princeton resident, Chmiel was Principal of Franklin High School, Somerset before moving to PHS, where he took over from Jessica Baxter.

When contacted, Princeton Public Schools did not confirm or deny the decision to terminate Chmiel’s contract. PPS said all staff contracts are evaluated before the next school year, which was standard procedure. They asked the community to “allow the process to run its course.”

“As a district, PPS works hard to be as transparent as possible regarding all district procedures and decisions. While we are glad that we have staff and families who are invested in the district’s team, all personnel discussions are required to be confidential,” PPS told Patch in a statement.

“As a part of a longstanding policy, evaluations are conducted for all staff members before contracts are offered for the next school year. We ask members of the district community who may be concerned to allow this process to run its course. We look forward to sharing the board's decisions on staffing when finalized.”

The next scheduled board meeting is on May 10.

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