High School Principal On Leave, Some Parents Questioning Why They Weren’t Told

Note: This story has been updated with additional information.

Someone with an important role to play in the education of students has been conspicuously absent since the start of the school year at Saucon Valley High School nearly two weeks ago.

High school principal Eric Kahler has been and remains “on leave,” Supt. Dr. Monica McHale-Small said in an email earlier this week.

The reason for his leave has not been officially explained, and doesn’t have to be. The fact that he is absent hasn’t been officially communicated to parents, either.

“In his absence, (Assistant Principal) Mr. (Ken) Napaver is assuming day to day operations at the high school,” McHale-Small said.

An email to Kahler’s school district email address is set to auto-reply, and says: “I am currently out of the office. If you need immediate assistance, please contact the high school office.”

A message sent to Kahler via the business networking website LinkedIn was not immediately returned.

On social media sites like Facebook, some parents of high school students have been sharing concerns about the principal’s absence; questioning where he is, why he’s on leave, when–or if–he’ll return to his post, and why there has been no official notification to parents about his absence since the start of the school year.

“It just should have been something that was communicated to the parents,” said parent Maria Smith. “I don’t think it is a non-issue. The fall for our kids is just a bit different and we want to know why is there no tailgating, etc. Mr. Kahler even had a tailgate breakfast last year the first day of school (and there was) nothing this year.”

Parent Penny Ackerman agreed.

“There are many rumors floating around…because there has been no communication from above,” she said. “Just a statement or two from the superintendent would make some (not all) of the rumors go away.”

“I have never had any personal interaction with Mr. Kahler, but I have heard him speak. He cares about his students. He has even been seen grilling hot dogs–free of charge for students–before home football games at the school. Will that happen this year? Who knows? There has not been any communication,” she added.

“When (former superintendent) Dr. (Sandra) Fellin was in charge, I felt like there was more communication to the parents from administration,” she said. “(I am) hoping we don’t lose Mr. Kahler as a principal.”

Ackerman said the lack of communication about Kahler has been “very frustrating as a parent in the district.”

An email sent to the parent of an elementary school student this week after her teacher went on extended leave after teaching the first two days of the school year also seems to reveal an inconsistency in the notification policy regarding leave.

Although the reason for the leave isn’t stated in the email from principal Cynthia Motter and assistant principal James Deegan, the district’s plan for dealing with her absence is explained and further communication is promised. In contrast, no mass email about Kahler’s leave or the plan to have Napaver fufill his duties during his absence has been sent to parents to date.

Saucon Source has redacted the teacher’s name from the email shared below:

Assistant Principal Ken Napaver, according to his LinkedIn profile, was formerly both an assistant principal and elementary school principal in the Bensalem Township School District in Bucks County, which is where McHale-Small was employed as an assistant superintendent before she was hired to be the Saucon Valley School District superintendent in 2014.

Kahler has been the principal at Saucon Valley High School since January 2010 and outside of his role as principal has become known for his passion for supporting Panther athletic teams, often appearing on the sidelines at football games, for example.

The next Saucon Valley School Board meeting will be held Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in the high school Audion room.

Tell Us: What do you think about the principal’s absence? Should parents have been officially notified about his absence? Are they owed an explanation? Or is this a private personnel matter that is being blown out of proportion by parents?