Round Lake Beach grade school principal removed from job

Grayslake Elementary District 46 Superintendent Ellen Correll has an added chore of helping to run a school building after removing a principal in the middle of the academic year.

Timothy Irish, principal at kindergarten-through-fourth-grade Avon Center School in Round Lake Beach, was shifted into another administrative job Dec. 1. Correll said parents and teachers were informed of the move.

Correll said she's sharing the duties of running Avon Center with M. Lynn Barkley, assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and assessment.

"It's very challenging to find someone new in the middle of the year," Correll said Thursday.

Irish could not be reached for comment. He came to Avon Center from the Dominican Republic in 2006.

District 46 board President Michael Linder said Irish had been under the microscope for a while before he was relieved of his principal duties.

"I've had people ask me if it was some real big problem," Linder said. "It wasn't. There were some performance issues that needed to be resolved."

Correll said Irish will perform meaningful work at the main administration office while drawing his $98,280 principal salary. Irish has a contract through the academic year.

One of Irish's assignments is to set up a new central registration system District 46 will launch before the 2009-10 school year, said Correll. He'll also lead the implementation of the Skyward financial management software designed to improve school accounting.

Correll said she couldn't get into specifics about Irish's performance as principal.