Talk of a new school had been floating in the air for quite some time, however, most did not think that Leesburg needed another high school and found it hard to believe that the new school would actually open. So when Elephant’s Trunk High School started their first official school year last fall, many were left in disbelief.
In just its first year, the school has already been involved in numerous controversies, at the center of which lies its principal, Clyde Barrow.
Previously working as principal at a nearby elementary school, where he spent four years, Barrow has been known for his numerous scandals. So, when the school board announced that he would take the job as principal at the Elephant’s Trunk, parents were concerned for the safety and wellbeing of their children.
Due to a school board issue that occurred a few years ago at his old school, parents have been skeptical about Barrow’s position at Elephant’s Trunk, some even saying that he’s incapable of taking the job.
His first week as principal, to help keep some semblance of his reputation alive, Barrow took to his X account to provide the community with reassurance as he stepped up to the role.
“We will make this town the BEST it’s ever been,” the tweet read. “We have entered the PLATINUM AGE of education in Leesburg.”
In an effort to “increase the quality of the school,” Barrow stated that he would be pulling the institution out of the school board’s jurisdiction.
Surprisingly, a couple weeks ago, the school’s administration got the proposal approved and has left the united coalition of schools in the county.
At the time of writing, they are one of only four of the ninety-eight schools in the entire county that aren’t involved with the school system.
“That was a big one,” Barrow said when asked about his decision to pull the school out of the county-wide system.
In order to secure funds for the school’s private future, Barrow has begun meeting with his close-knit educational team to brainstorm ideas to raise and obtain money.
Already suspicious of his actions, parents were completely thrown off by Barrow’s decision to leave the county school board.
Concerned about what an independent school could lead to, such as high tuitions and a lack of connection with neighboring schools, they have begun to pull their kids out of the institute.
“When my son first transferred to this school a few months ago, we had high hopes, as the building would be completely new and he could get to live a great high school career,” one mother said. “Now, we want him to transfer out of Elephant’s Trunk.”
While allowing a school the county funded to fall into the hands of a private market is regrettable under normal circumstances, in this case, the school was becoming a lightning rod for the press in the county, and having it out of their control might be best for all.
“We wanted to be out of the national spotlight,” superintendent Marshall Doug said, concerned and embarrassed after hearing news of the rules and regulations Barrow has begun putting in place.
To keep students happy, Barrow has also said that he will be backing out of SOL testing.
“Our NEW & IMPROVED plan: NO MORE SOLs,” his tweet read. “Students will no longer have to sit through BORING and TREACHEROUS tests.”
Upon hearing the news, the entirety of the student body at Elephant’s Trunk rejoiced, praising their principal’s decision.
While many students are happy that they’ll no longer have to take standardized tests, others are grateful to Barrow for alleviating the stress from their classes, one student even exclaiming that “now I can fail in peace because there’s no end-of-year test I have to study for!”
Similar to his decision to pull out of the county-wide school system, Barrow has also decided to defy nutritional guidelines, making school lunch a carnival for students.
“MORE ice cream, MORE candy, MORE fun!” read a tweet from the principal regarding the matter.
Though this action has only furthered students’ joy in their principal, parents were shocked to hear the news of the scarce nutrition plan.
“How am I supposed to know that what my child is eating in his school lunch is healthy for him?” one parent asked.
In a tweet, Barrow replied: “Don’t like the idea of no nutrition? PACK YOUR KIDS LUNCH! Don’t be LAZY parents! Do something!”
Barrow has also said that this decision will likely increase parent involvement in students’ lives, as many parents will be encouraged to pack their child’s lunches and send food from home once seeing the food that will be made available to students in the school cafeteria.
To “further his authority” (as he, himself, claimed in yet another tweet), the school hosted a “wing renaming” ceremony last week.
The right half of the main hallway on the second floor of the school was renamed as “The Wing Above My Office.”
Named by Barrow himself, the wing, with a brand new banner that hangs from its walls, was reopened for the public. The ceremony, which also featured a parade of school staff and Barrow’s family members, started at the principal’s office.
Then, the entourage made its way up the stairs and into the hallway directly above the principal’s office, and eventually ended in front of a red ribbon tied to a curtain that enclosed the wing from being seen.
As Barrow cut the ribbon, the curtain fell, and the new hallway was revealed, covered in pictures of Barrow in frames of gold and cutouts of his face placed along each of the lockers along the walls.
His customary speech after the ribbon cutting told a lot about his upcoming plans for the school.
“We are only getting started,” Barrow said, referencing the numerous decisions his administration has made in relation to the school. “What’s to come is even better.”
In the same speech, Barrow announced that a new educational consultant would be getting hired. In fact, he stated, “the new consultant is here with us right now.”
“Meet Mr. George,” Barrow said. “He will be handling staff-related matters from here on out.”
As of a week later, Dylan George has become infamous for his strict and disciplinary nature. We’ve received multiple reports of numerous teachers that he has fired from the school.
One teacher revealed that she was fired simply for drinking coffee while she was printing papers for her class.
“He comes up to me and goes, ‘Socialising and drinking coffee is not what we pay you for,’” she said. “He basically fired me because I was talking to my fellow teachers while waiting for the printer to finish copying all the papers for my test.”
Like her, many other employees who have been fired from the school for similar reasons complain about the educational consultant.
“I have been a teacher for over 20 years,” former math teacher Deborah Walker said. “I thought Elephant’s Trunk would be a good place for me, since it’s a completely brand new school. I didn’t expect this.”
Following a plethora of complaints against the school administration, Barrow attempted to relieve some of the tension on his X account.
The tweet read: “We are fostering a POSITIVE environment for students. TEACHERS, you MUST work. We will NOT TOLERATE LAZINESS or ANY sort of UNPRODUCTIVENESS”
The tweet also featured a link to the school’s official website, with a list of new rules and procedures. The rule regarding teachers and the work they do, formally titled “End Laziness,” has had an addition to it since its approval.
Along with working for the entirety of the time they are at school without pause, teachers must now also either “document their work or resign.”
Though controversies have rocked the building this year, parents are relieved that the school year is coming to an end. Many believe that summer break is the perfect time to transfer their kids out of Elephant’s Trunk and into a different school, while others look forward to graduation.
However, these hopes and wishes were soon extinguished as Barrow announced his biggest change, yet.
“We think it’s stupid, so we won’t be having one this year,” Barrow said in a tweet. “Students, NO MORE GRADUATION.”
Concerned and completely thrown off, students have become distressed following the news of the new change to the cherished end of the year event.
“What?” exclaimed one shocked student. “Who let him become principal? What is he doing in that office and why is he taking away my privilege to walk across the stage and get my diploma?”
A common pattern under this school administration, Barrow once again took to his X account to share some insights regarding the issue.
“We will be saving OVER $7,000 by NOT participating in GRADUATION,” the tweet read. “These funds can be used to help supply our DELICIOUS ICE CREAM, which has started being provided to STUDENTS following MY DECISION to disregard school nutrition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Though this change directly impacts students, parents seem to be the ones most affected by it.
“I can’t believe this right now,” stated Lisa Michigan, mother of a senior who would’ve been graduating this June. “How is he even allowed to do such a thing?”
It seems as though this may have been the breaking point for Barrow and his time in office. The student body and their parents have taken to X to comment on Barrow’s previous tweets, leaving notes depicting their negative emotions following his graduation shut down.
Though still a few months ahead and still having the capacity to change his mind, after Barrow’s graduation change proposal, many have become curious as to what else he may do, questioning where all this authority came from. Others, like parent Johana Sampson, just “want him out.”
With less than two months left of the school year, it is extremely uncertain to predict what will become of the school and those associated with it.
In his most recent tweet, Barrow gives insight as to what the future contains: “This is JUST THE BEGINNING. We WILL NOT STOP until we become the BEST and GREATEST SCHOOL in the WORLD!!!”
