BROOKINGS — Brookings High School has its fourth principal in four years after the Brookings School Board terminated the contract of high school principal Justin Stanley effective June 30.
The 5-0 vote came at a June 27 meeting, after the board emerged from an executive session where they discussed personnel matters. Assistant Principal Zach Thomas will assume the role of interim principal at BHS when the new school year starts on Aug. 21.
The district will provide Stanley with an additional one month’s salary and one month’s health and dental insurance coverage. Stanley was the third principal at BHS in the last three years. He was hired as assistant principal in 2021 and promoted to principal July 1, 2024 — replacing Heather Miller-Cink who was hired the summer of 2023. Miller-Cink replaced long-time principal Paul Von Fischer, who left Brookings to become superintendent in Estelline.
“These decisions are very complex, and we appreciate the community’s trust in the board to make decisions to protect the district,” Teresa Binkley, school board president, said. “It’s a personnel matter so we can’t go in-depth on reasons. I would also say that these issues are complex, and we ask the community to trust our judgment in the decisions we make for our district.”
Before coming to Brookings, Stanley spent six years as principal of Harvey High in Harvey, N.D. He is a 1999 BHS graduate and holds a master’s in curriculum and instruction from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn.
Turnover has proved constant at the top of the Brookings School District and BHS in recent years. Former superintendent Klint Willert was forced out by the board in June of 2023 and replaced by Summer Schultz, whose contract was recently renewed for two years. Former head football coach Brady Clark also abruptly resigned this February after an 8-3 season.
Trish Matson Buus is president of the high school PTA and shared with the Brookings Register a letter from the PTA to the school board. In part, the letter states:
“With the recent leadership change at our high school, I wanted to respectfully share that many in our school community are feeling concern over the pattern of frequent principal transitions. As you know, we’ll be entering our fourth school year in a row with a new principal. This level of turnover understandably impacts our school culture, staff morale and our students’ experience. I recognize that personnel decisions are complex and often involve details that cannot be publicly shared, and I respect the confidentiality of those matters. My hope is to explore how we, as a district and community, can move forward in a way that builds stability, clarity and trust. Our students, families and educators deserve consistent supported leadership and a clear vision for the future, as well as timely communication and the highest degree of transparency possible.”
In an email sent to parents the afternoon of June 30, Schultz said, “I recognize that two consecutive years of leadership changes at BHS have understandably raised concerns. Please be assured that our goal moving forward is to provide not only consistency but also high-quality leadership that our students, staff and families deserve.”
Schultz told the Register that she and the school board both remain committed to supporting students and staff at the high school.
“While it is difficult not to provide more context, I appreciate the understanding of those in our community who recognize that the board of education must both follow the law and make difficult decisions when necessary,” Schultz said. “I understand that situations like this may raise questions and concerns. More importantly, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary work being done by our high school staff and the continued success of our students. I regret that this transition may temporarily overshadow those efforts.”
She said she hopes Thomas provides BHS with a sense of continuity this fall.
“Mr. Thomas has served at BHS since 2018 in both teaching and administrative roles and has consistently demonstrated strong leadership and a deep commitment to students and staff,” Schultz said. “In the coming days, Mr. Thomas will finalize his leadership team for the 2025–2026 school year and transition into his new role. I hope that his appointment provides a sense of reassurance during this time of change.”
Thomas was named assistant principal at BHS last summer. He spent five years as a history teacher and six years as girls basketball coach in Brookings. He graduated from BHS in 2010 and holds a master’s in education administration from South Dakota State University.
After the executive session portion of the June 27 meeting, the school board also voted to cancel a scheduled July 1 special meeting and to re-schedule a July 17 meeting to July 14. As of now, the next Brookings School Board meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on July 14 at Dakota Prairie Elementary School.
You can read the letter from Matson Buus here.
Contact Jay Roe at jay.roe@brookingsregister.com.
