Grand Forks School Board to vote on nonrenewal of Ben Franklin principal

Apr. 26—GRAND FORKS — Grand Forks School Board members will decide Monday whether to terminate the contract of an elementary school principal.

Superintendent Terry Brenner has recommended School Board members vote not to renew the contract of Ben Franklin Elementary Principal Joshua Mailhot due to poor performance. The board will meet in a special session Monday to rule on Brenner's recommendation.

Notice of the special meeting was issued shortly after 3 p.m. Friday.

Brenner listed a half-dozen charges of poor conduct by Mailhot in issuing his recommendation, including "inability to follow directives from his supervisor," "inability to maintain trust with those he supervises," "inability to understand and implement adequate safety procedures and protocols," and "inability to provide a clear vision and model of instruction," among others.

Under a state statute cited by Brenner, the School Board may provide written notice of nonrenewal before May 1 to a principal who has been employed for fewer than two years.

Brenner further wrote that Mailhot did not have a right to a nonrenewal hearing since he had been employed at the school district for less than two years.

Mailhot joined Grand Forks Public Schools in 2022 as Ben Franklin's principal after four years as an elementary school principal in Fisher, Minnesota, according to past reports.

Assistant Superintendent Matt Bakke issued a letter of reprimand to Mailhot on April 10 after two critical evaluations by Bakke during the current school year.

In that letter, Bakke told Mailhot he could either resign by April 17 or Bakke would recommend the board contemplate his nonrenewal at its April 22 session. It's not immediately clear why Mailhot's nonrenewal was not considered at Monday's meeting.