Two schools get new principals after a divided board vote

What happened

On June 8, 2026 the board approved a staffing list that moved Coeburn Primary School principal Amanda Woody into a teaching job and moved Central High School principal Elijah Helton to a central-office job as director of special education and student services. Nicholas Sturgill, the assistant principal, became interim principal at Central High School. Seven Coeburn Primary employees and a community member spoke in support of Ms. Woody before the vote. The board approved the list 7-1, with Mary Dora Smith voting no. Ms. Woody's resignation, effective June 30, 2026, was recorded at the July 27, 2026 meeting, and Deidre Pendleton was named interim principal at Coeburn Primary.

Why it matters to families

A principal sets the tone of a school, and both of these schools started 2026-2027 with someone new in charge. Coeburn Primary, rated Distinguished with a score of 91.7, lost the principal its own staff came out to defend.

The evidence

The approved June 8, 2026 minutes list the public speakers, the 7-1 roll-call vote, and the transfer lines moving Amanda Woody from CPS Principal to a teacher assignment and Elijah Helton from CHS Principal to Director of SPED and Student Services, with Nicholas Sturgill as CHS interim principal. The approved July 27, 2026 minutes record Ms. Woody's resignation and Ms. Pendleton's move to CPS interim principal.

The source