Pasco News

Pasco district moves quickly to replace Zephyrhills High principal

By Ronnie Blair | Tribune Staff
Published: November 5, 2012

ZEPHYRHILLS - The Pasco County School District is moving quickly to put a new principal in place at Zephyrhills High to succeed Steve Van Gorden, who resigned in the middle of a district investigation into complaints against him.

Andy Frelick, principal at Ridgewood High in New Port Richey, will be transferred to Zephyrhills, Assistant Superintendent Tina Tiede said today.

The school board is scheduled to vote on Frelick's transfer, and Van Gorden's resignation, on Tuesday.

"Andy lives over on the east side," Tiede said. "He has been working with Ridgewood and pulled up their scores. We felt like he was a good match for (Zephyrhills)."

Van Gorden's resignation came three weeks after he was placed on paid leave while the school district conducted an investigation. The district has not revealed the nature of the investigation, other than to say it didn't involve children or criminal activities.

Details are expected to be released Tuesday once the school board accepts his resignation and the investigation is officially closed.

The district plans to advertise the Ridgewood High job and hopes to put that principal search "on the fast track" because the holidays are coming up, Tiede said.

Also on Tuesday, the school board is expected to name Margaret Fackelman as principal at Paul R. Smith Middle School in Holiday. Fackelman is an assistant principal at River Ridge Middle.

She would succeed Chris Dunning, who previously was transferred to Seven Springs Middle.

rblair@tampatrib.com (813) 371-1853 Twitter: @rblairTrib