Josh Morgan hired as SRCA’s new school director

The SRCA board was considering hiring Morgan as the new school director earlier in the year, but the hiring process was delayed when SRCA parents filed grievances against Morgan, and later filed a complaint with the Waynesville Police Department.

The parents all cited improper disciplinary actions, and Kelley Messer had filed the complaint to the police department claiming that Morgan had been too forceful with her son.

After an investigation conducted by board attorney David Hostetler, Shining Rock’s Governance Committee dismissed all three of the grievances after he was found to have acted appropriately.

A few days later, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch declined to charge Morgan with any crimes after an investigation into Messer’s complaint.

According to a release sent out but the District Attorney’s office, the school’s surveillance video showed that Morgan used a “reasonable amount of force and physical restraint to move the child from a classroom to the principal’s office” and that there was “no evidence of injury or excessive force.”

After spending weeks dealing with grievances and investigations, Morgan said he is happy to continue leading the school.

“I feel very blessed and honored that the board and community have the faith in me to lead us forward,” Morgan said after being hired. “It’s a great school, a really good community and I look forward to continuing our place in the community.”

Morgan had been the interim head of of school since February, when former director Nathan Duncan was terminated due to allegations of sexual harassment that were found credible by Hostetler.

Morgan began working for SRCA in July 2018 as the Assistant Director of Instruction. He has an education specialist degree from Western Carolina University, a North Carolina Superintendent’s licensure, and experience as a principal in both Haywood County and South Carolina.

According to a statement sent out from the SRCA board, Morgan “brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that has already positively impacted the instructional practices and the school culture at Shining Rock. We are excited for the vision that he has for Shining Rock’s future and are grateful for the work he has done this spring as our Interim School Director.”

Under his leadership, Morgan hopes to continue academic progress, instill more stability in the school and foster more positive relationships throughout the community.

“We want to increase our opportunity for involvement with parents and community members,” Morgan said.

Another visible change next year at SRCA will be the absence of Tara Keilberg, who previously served as the school’s admissions and finance director.

Her contract with the school officially ended on June 30. Keilberg is one of the founding members of SRCA and has been with the school since it began in 2013.

“I have decided to pursue another opportunity,” Keilberg said. “I fully support the staff and families of Shining Rock moving forward. I have been, and continue to be, inspired by our teachers’ dedication and commitment to their craft and I believe they will continue to serve their community well.”

“I’m very proud of Shining Rock and want to see it thrive,” she added.

Morgan also said the school’s plan to hire a marketing director wasn’t a priority at this time.

“That is very much on hold because the priority right now is taking care of students and giving teachers what they need to be successful on the first day of school,” Morgan said.