Centennial High School principal’s removal prompts questions

Centennial High School students and parents are asking the Clark County School Board for answers after their principal was abruptly removed from his position this month.

A dozen students and parents drove more than 20 miles from their school in the northwest valley and waited for four hours to address School Board trustees at their meeting Thursday night about the removal of Principal Keith Wipperman.

Centennial senior and class treasurer Zachary Schaumburg said Wipperman was escorted off campus this month with no email or notice given to students or parents.

Staff at the high school were sent an email on Oct. 5 informing them that Wipperman had been assigned to other duties and that assistant principals Doug Wilbur and Karen Marzka would be their contacts in the interim, according to a copy of the email provided by the district.

Wipperman could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

His absence has been deeply felt by the students who say he’s not just a principal but a trusted mentor, a friend and the students’ biggest supporter.

“We miss him and us students deserve to know what’s happening on our campus,” Ellie Heywood, the school’s student body president, said in a public comment to the board. “So I ask you, please help us understand what’s going on.”

A district spokesperson said Thursday that he was unable to comment on Wipperman’s removal because it was a personnel matter.

Trustee Katie Williams, who represents Centennial, also cited an ongoing investigation as the reason she was unable to comment further at this time.

Students and parents who spoke to the board Thursday said rumors have spread throughout the school community in the wake of Wipperman’s removal.

Centennial parent Matthew Schriever said he understands that the district has its own investigative process and a need for confidentiality, but he said the district owes the school community transparency.

Schriever asked the board Thursday night about what specific CCSD regulation or policy Wipperman had violated to prompt his removal.

“CCSD likes to say they’re transparent, but they’re not being transparent here,” he said. “It’s been two weeks. … It’s to the point now where these kids, some of them feel lost, some of them feel helpless. They feel like their friend’s been taken away from them.”

Left without any answers, the students ended the school night in the parking lot of the district’s Edward A. Greer Education Center, holding one another and echoing a chant that they say has become commonplace at every football, basketball and volleyball game whenever the students would see their principal.

“We love Wipp,” they shouted. “We love Wipp.”

Contact Lorraine Longhi at 702-387-5298 or llonghi @reviewjournal.com. Follow her at @lolonghi on Twitter.