SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — The community came out to express its concern over an elementary school principal’s ordered reinstatement at the Slippery Rock Area School District board meeting Monday, July 28.

At the first board meeting since the state ordered the reinstatement of Kristie Shulsky — who was accused of, among other things, being intoxicated at work — parents and even a student used the public comment portion of the meeting to express their disappointment with the board and its handling of the situation.

“You failed us,” Sarah Drew, a mother of six, told the board. “You failed the students, parents and teachers.”

Drew said she had heard of parents expressing complaints long before last year, but felt that those were ignored by the board and administration time and time again.

“It’s been made very clear that our voices, our complaints and our children don’t matter,” Drew said.

Monday’s meeting was held less than two weeks after the state’s acting secretary of education, Carrie Rowe, issued an order reinstating Shulsky as a tenured employee of the district on July 17.

Shulsky began her work for the district in 2007 and was assigned as principal of Moraine Elementary in 2015. She was placed on administrative leave in May 2024 while the district investigated a rumor that she was intoxicated on the job.

Shulsky’s attorney Steven Winslow said the former principal denies the allegations.

Before public comment, board president Diane Double read a statement pertaining Rowe’s decision.

“The district is disappointed in the decision and will be considering its options and next steps,” Double said. “Like any other personnel matter, the district has no further comment.”

Josh Wise, another parent, expressed his frustration with the board when it came to decisions both related and unrelated to Shulsky.

“I don’t think any of the taxpayer base should have to put up with (this) and the surprise budget raises for this behind-date addition to the school,” Wise said.

Wise’s son, Levi, a student at the district who attended Moraine Elementary before Shulsky’s removal, also addressed the board directly.

“I hope she never comes back and never steps on school grounds ever again,” Levi said through a shaky voice. “I never want to see her face ever again in the Slippery Rock school district or any school district, to be exact.”

Rowe’s opinion said the district charged Shulsky with immorality, intemperance, cruelty and insubordination based on its investigation and changed her administrative leave to a suspension. She was terminated by the school board in a 9-0 decision on Jan. 13.

In her opinion, Rowe said the district failed to prove any of the allegations against Shulsky and noted many of the allegations cited for her termination did not meet the standard for termination.

This meeting was not the first time district leadership communicated directly with parents about the reinstatement. On Wednesday, July 23, members of district leadership met with parents outside of Moraine Elementary School to address parents’ concerns.

There, superintendent Alfonso Angelucci and board member Greg Schiller said the district administration does not intend to have her serve as principal of Moraine Elementary for the upcoming school year and is considering appealing Rowe’s decision.