WELLINGTON, Fla. — The Palm Beach County School Board on Wednesday officially approved an interim principal for Palm Beach Central High School after five staff members, including the principal, were arrested for failing to report the suspected sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl.
Reggie Myers, the retired former principal of Park Vista Community High School, has been tapped to lead Palm Beach Central.
At a special meeting Wednesday, the school board approved the hiring as part of the consent agenda without discussion.
According to district documents, Myers started his new role at Palm Beach Central on Monday. However, it's unclear how long he'll remain in that position.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Education
The School District of Palm Beach County appointed Myers — a highly respected and decorated educator with four decades of experience in local schools — to the interim post just days after the arrests of five Palm Beach Central High School staffers. He last worked at Park Vista High School, retiring from the school district in 2021.
Principal Darren Edgecomb, 58, assistant principal Nereyda Cayado De Garcia, 57, assistant principal Daniel Snider, 49, teacher Scott Houchins, 53, and school behavioral therapist Priscilla Carter, 55, were arrested on July 24 on charges of failure to report sexual abuse.
According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office investigation, all five employees were alerted, in some form, about allegations that a 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a 15-year-old boy off-campus on April 2, 2021.
Yet none of the staff members, the sheriff's office said, reported the incident to law enforcement or the Florida Department of Children and Families, which was required by state law.
In an interview with WPTV education reporter Stephanie Susskind, Palm Beach County Superintendent Mike Burke praised Myers as being a "well qualified" leader with a "distinguished career."
"He knows what it takes to run a large, successful high school," Burke said. "So I'm excited about that appointment. I know he'll do what's needed to make sure the school is ready to go, and we'll be lending support from the district office as needed."
WATCH: Superintendent talks aftermath of Palm Beach Central arrests
CONTINUING COVERAGE:
- Palm Beach Central staffers may have known about alleged sexual assault of girl months before parents
- Palm Beach County schools 'go above state requirements' in training to report abuse, district says
- How to discuss Palm Beach Central High School allegations with your children
Myers retired in 2021 after 40 years with the School District of Palm Beach County.
Before taking over as principal of Park Vista Community High School in 2008, Myers served as principal of Christa McAuliffe Middle School, John I. Leonard High School, Middle School of Choice, and Sandpiper Shores Elementary School.
Myers started his career with the school district in 1981 as a physical education teacher at Pine Grove Elementary School.
WATCH: Retired Palm Beach County principal reflects on 40-year career
According to Myers' resume, Park Vista had a 98% graduation rate during his last three years as principal. Under Myers' leadership, the school's overall graduation rate jumped 13% from 85% in 2008 to 98.2% in 2021.
Myers was a Palm Beach County "Principal of the Year" nominee in 2019.
"We're committed to having [Palm Beach Central High School] ready to go day one, Aug. 10," Burke said, adding that "we're going to have a great year at Palm Beach Central, regardless."
Palm Beach County teachers will return to their classrooms on Friday to prepare for the first day of the 2023/24 school year, which starts on Thursday, Aug. 10.
