News : New VSHS principal leaves behind legal battle involving predecessor at Durant

Matt Kingsbury has been offered the job of VSHS principal.

Before Matt Kingsbury could finish his first year as principal of Durant High School, the former principal showed up for work.

A bizarre controversy continues in Durant, where in September of 2009, high school principal Monica Rouse was suddenly told to leave the premises and placed on administrative leave, and later fired. Since that September day, the Durant district has dealt with the controversy over the previous principal, and a long court battle. on March 11, a district judge ordered the Durant School Board to re-hire Rouse. The school replied by appealing the ruling, and sent a press release discussing the issue. But for now, the once-fired principal is back on the Durant district payroll, although Kingsbury remains there as principal.

Durant, a town of 1,700 is situated in parts of three Iowa counties: Muscatine, Scott and Cedar.

Kingsbury, meanwhile, is heading to Vinton-Shellsburg, where he will replace a principal who has the respect of both the students and the superintendent. Kingsbury, who was hired in the spring of 2010 for the 2010-11 year at Durant High School, was offered the VSHS position after a series of interviews with school administrators, students and community members last week. The Vinton-Shellsburg School Board will meet soon to formally offer him the position and approve his contract.

A UNI graduate, Kingsbury has taught and coached football, and girls golf at Wapello. He earned his Master of Education Degree in 2005, and served as the high school principal at Columbus Junction for five years before his year in Durant.

In contrast to his previous district, Vinton-Shellsburg offers Kingsbury an atmosphere where the principal has been liked and respected by students, administration and the community.

Vinton-Shellsburg Superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock had praised Kirk Johnson, who is leaving VSHS for the same position in the rapidly-growing Waukee school district on the outskirts of Des Moines.

"I appreciate the level of professionalism Kirk has brought to everything he does," Hainstock said during the special board meeting called after Johnson announced his resignation. "You took a chance on a young guy with just a couple of years of administrative experience, and now he has been offered one of the premier principal jobs in Iowa."

And during a recent high school assembly, when Assistant Principal Ryan Davis mentioned during an assembly that Mr. Johnson was leavings, many students in the audience booed loudly.

"Yeah, we will miss him," Davis told the students.