WHITINGHAM- Whitingham School Board members announced that Whitingham Elementary/Twin Valley Middle School Principal Bill Anton would be leaving his position at the school after only a year.

Anton dropped the bombshell, telling board members he planned to accept a position as principal at Dover School during an executive session Tuesday night.

Anton, who lives in Dover, said it was a difficult decision, but he couldn’t pass up the chance to work in his own community, and with his own children. “It’s bittersweet for me,” he said. “I love Whitingham, I love this job, and I love the people I work with.”

Anton is the fifth principal at the school in the last six years. When principal Jurg Jenzer left in 2003, Marilyn Williams took the post as an interim principal during the transition to the Twin Valley system. When Williams left in 2004, the board brought in two new administrators, Martin Nadler and Todd Martin. When Nadler was hired, it was with the agreement that he would take the position for a couple of years, before turning the reins over to Martin. Martin became principal in 2007, and Anton was hired as assistant principal. But Martin left after only a year, and board members promoted Anton to principal.

Now Anton is leaving, and board members say they don’t intend to hire another principal at this time. “With the prospect of consolidation, we don’t think it would be fair to the candidates,” said Whitingham School Board chair Seth Boyd.

Superintendent Dr. M. Peter Wright says the board will create an “interim structure” using existing personnel to cover administrative duties after Anton leaves at the end of the year.

Anton said the remaining staff and faculty were up to the job. “The flip side of having multiple administrations is that it’s the board, staff, and teachers that create the foundation for Whitingham and has produced a stable educational environment for the kids,” he said. “That isn’t changing.”

But in a subsequent interview, Boyd said the school board is “disappointed” with Anton’s decision, not only because it leaves the school rudderless, but because they hired him after reaching a mutual agreement that he would remain at the school for several years. “It was just a few months ago that he was determined and eager when we explained that we wanted someone for the long term,” Boyd said. “One of our running jokes was that he had a 15-year contract.”

Wilmington, Whitingham, and Twin Valley school boards also met Tuesday evening to reorganize and take care of some joint financial business.

Tom Manton will continue to chair Wilmington’s board, Dennis Richter was elected vice chair, and Phil Taylor was elected clerk. Manton, Richter, and new board member Jason Crawford will serve on the Twin Valley School Board. Manton said the board planned to seek a volunteer to fill a seat vacated by Leitha Cipriano. “We’ve had a little bit of interest,” he said.

When Whitingham convened, board member Jack Kincella offered a motion to retain the same slate of officers. The motion was successful, and Boyd will remain chair, Ed Metcalfe will serve as vice chair, and Kincella will serve as clerk. Metcalfe and Kincella will continue to represent Whitingham on the Twin Valley Board.

The boards approved oil contracts at $1.82 per gallon, a bargain price made possible by a large multiparty bidding consortium. Supervisory union business manager Ronda Lackey said there was some good news for Whitingham Elementary/Twin Valley Middle School. According to maintenance supervisor John Carrier, the school has been using less fuel oil than had been predicted. Construction of a wood chip-fired boiler was completed last fall, and school officials had estimated the school would cut its oil consumption to about 5,000 gallons. Lackey said the school has used about 2,500 gallons this year, and was on track to have its 10,000-gallon oil tank almost full at the beginning of next year, with oil that has already been purchased. Board members decided to include the school in the oil bid for next season, as the contract allows them to receive cash back for any oil they don’t use.

“Can we take it and sell it on the market?” quipped Metcalfe.

In other matters, Tyler Colford explained his request to use the school for a hip-hop concert on Friday, April 10. Colford said the concert would include four bands, one alternative band and three hip-hop bands. The concert will raise money for the senior class Project Graduation.

Board members were initially skeptical about the event, but when Colford explained his plan to supervise the event with 10 to 15 parent chaperones, maintain a police presence during the concert, and strictly control admittance, the board agreed to allow the event at the school.

“I feel a lot better about it now than when I first heard about it, but there’s a lot riding on this,” board member Dwight Williams warned Colford. “If it goes well, it could be a good fund-raiser for a long time to come. If it goes sour, it could sour our appetite for a long time.”