Oak Point Elementary families were left with more questions than answers after receiving news Wednesday that their school principal will be absent for an unspecified amount of time.
Chris Rogers has been Oak Point’s principal since he joined the district beginning with the 2022-23 school year.
In an email to families on Nov. 20, Josh Swanson, the Eden Prairie Schools superintendent, and Felicia Thames, the district’s assistant superintendent of elementary education, said, “We want to let you know that your principal, Dr. Chris Rogers, will be out of the office for the foreseeable future. At this time, this is all we are able to share with you.”
The email said that in Rogers’ absence, Hernan Moncada, principal of Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion, which shares a building with Oak Point, will provide administrative leadership at Oak Point. He will be supported by Oscar Andrade Lara, Oak Point’s associate principal, as well as by the rest of the school’s administrative team.
The email also shared a message from Moncada that said, “I’m excited about the opportunity to help lead the Oak Point community at this time. Having been an Oak Point parent, working so closely alongside Oak Point leaders, and sharing a building for the last nine years, I care deeply about this community and its success. Associate Principal Andrade Lara and I will make sure everyone has an exceptional experience at Oak Point.”
Swanson and Thames also thanked families “for your ongoing partnership in ensuring there’s no place like Oak Point.”
Prior to the email being sent, according to some school staff and families, Rogers had reportedly been absent from school for several days, missed scheduled meetings, including the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization meeting on Tuesday night, and had not responded to at least some family and staff communications.
Rogers had also been removed from the school’s staff directory at least a day before the email from Swanson and Thames was sent. However, at the time this article was published, he was still listed as principal on the school’s contacts page.
Eden Prairie Local News has reached out to the district for further comment.
Comments
We offer several ways for our readers to provide feedback. Your comments are welcome on our social media posts (Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn). We also encourage Letters to the Editor; submission guidelines can be found on our Contact Us page. If you believe this story has an error or you would like to get in touch with the author, please connect with us.