Another principal resigns at Prairie Crossing school

Prairie Crossing Charter School in Grayslake is seeking its fourth principal in two years.

Despite the seemingly frequent turnover at the environmentally focused school, Prairie Crossing Director Myron Dagley such movement isn't unusual in the education profession.

Margaret Pennington's resignation as Prairie Crossing's principal has been accepted, effective June 5. She joined Prairie Crossing in December 2006.

Pennington has taken a job as principal at Heartland Elementary School in Geneva Unit District 304. The 25-year-plus educator lives in Geneva and has been commuting to Grayslake since taking the Prairie Crossing Charter School job.

"This is just part of a career path," Dagley said of Pennington's departure. "It's not unusual."

Katie Reynolds was dismissed as Prairie Crossing's principal in July 2006. Meryl Benjamin, a former elementary school principal in Oak Lawn, was in line to be Reynolds' replacement.

However, when Benjamin was up for approval, Prairie Crossing board members declined to vote on a recommendation to hire her made by a former director, Linda Brazdil. Some parents spoke against Benjamin, citing controversies in her Oak Lawn job.

Maria Samborn was hired as interim principal in August 2006. She lasted until December of that year, when Pennington was named interim principal for the duration of the 2006-07 academic season.

In a memo crafted by Prairie Crossing's personnel committee for a meeting last week, it was noted the school is late in undertaking a principal search. Nonetheless, the school has received about 15 applications and a selection is expected in June, Dagley said Wednesday.

Prairie Crossing is within the boundaries of Fremont Elementary District 79 and Woodland Elementary District 50. The state's per-pupil financial aid follows the Fremont and Woodland children if they attend Prairie Crossing, but out-of-area parents may pay tuition for students.

Serving children from kindergarten through eighth grade, Prairie Crossing has been Lake County's only charter school. However, said Dagley, that status might change if a proposed 600-student secondary school opens within the boundaries of Waukegan Unit District 60.