North Oconee High School Principal Barry Lollis resigns at BOE meeting tonight

There has been a lot of anger and acrimony at North Oconee High School this year, and it is not because the football team did not win the State Title. The Oconee Enterprise newspaper reported it quite poorly this evening, somehow equating the five deaths of fathers of students and a recent suicde as fueling the controversy. Guess what? Dads die every day. It does not make the heads of school turn in their resignations. However the death of a student certainly does not make one want to stick around.

What does make administrators decide they no longer want to work at a school? The lack of cooperation and respect of the teachers and employees. The parents taking their kids out of the newest school in the county. The students not wanting to say hello to the Principal when they walk down the hallway.

I have not been inside North Oconee during the school day to accurately gauge, yet alone trace the reasons for, the anger and hostility toward Mr. Lollis. I have heard from the parents and students as to their disdain to current administration after a very popular predecessor.

Essentially Lollis was in a no win situation, but he did nothing to help himself along the way. North Oconee is a great facility with a wide array of interesting and engaging teachers. Perhaps tomorrow will start the rebuilding process of this large new school in Oconee County. I wish the Titans and their former leader the best in all pursuits in the future.