Update, Sept. 1, 9:45 a.m.: The Springs School Board on Monday appointed Christine Cleary acting principal and Maria Mondini interim assistant principal. Debra Winter, the Springs superintendent, confirmed that Eric Casale, the school principal, is taking a leave of absence.
Ms. Cleary was previously assistant principal, and Ms. Mondini is a former Springs teacher who later worked as an assistant high school principal in the Southampton and East Hampton School Districts.
"These two individuals will definitely open our school safely and smartly," Ms. Winter said.
She also said Mr. Casale's leave had already been approved by the school board. It is unclear exactly when the school board did so, as meeting agendas dating back to July make no mention of Mr. Casale's leave.
An email to Mr. Casale was returned with an automated "out of office" reply on Aug. 28. As recently as Aug. 20, Mr. Casale was active on his Twitter account. "We would like to thank the parents and teachers that attended the parent meetings over the past couple of days to discuss our reopening plan for Springs School. We truly appreciate your support and input on this very important decision. Our goal is to open safely and smart," he said on Twitter that day.
Original, Aug. 31, 1:15, p.m.: An administrative shuffle is on the horizon in the Springs School District, which is likely to appoint the current assistant principal, Christine Cleary, to the new role of acting principal during Monday's school board meeting.
The school board agenda shows Ms. Cleary's potential appointment as well as the appointment of Maria Mondini, a former East Hampton High School and Southampton High School assistant principal, to the position of interim assistant principal at Springs.
A source close to the school district said Monday that Mr. Casale, who has been with Springs since 2005, may be taking a leave of absence. The school board has not approved such a leave for Mr. Casale in recent months. An email to Mr. Casale on Friday was returned with an automatic "out of office" message.
Debra Winter, the Springs superintendent, declined to comment on the personnel changes on Monday.
The Springs School Board will meet virtually on Monday at 7 p.m. Links to the live-stream meetings are typically posted on the school website, springsschool.org, shortly before the meetings begin.