11-year Holmes principal replaced mid-semester by interim; no details given

11-year Holmes principal replaced mid-term by interim; no details given

Yann Ulrich was recently named interim principal for Holmes Middle School.

Courtesy of Yann Ulrich

Nov. 5, 2018; updated Nov. 6
       In a sudden - as yet unexplained - recent move, Rob Utter has ceased to be the Holmes Middle School principal.
       School District 11 has replaced him on an interim basis by seven-year Holmes Assistant Principal Yann Ulrich, who is scheduled to serve as principal through the rest of the 2018-19 school year.
       According to D-11 public information officer Devra Ashby, “a principal search will begin in February and a permanent principal will be in place by the 2019-2020 school year.”
       Utter had been at Holmes for 17 years, starting as an assistant principal and continuing as principal for the past 11 years.
       The district has released no reasons for Utter's departure, or clarified whether it was a dismissal or resignation. An e-mail from Ashby simply states that Utter "is no longer the principal at Holmes Middle School," and adds that notification was sent out to Holmes families Oct. 22.
       “As with all personnel matters,” Ashby's e-mail continues, “I am not at liberty to discuss the details regarding this situation.”
       Ulrich is a 20-year D-11 veteran, whose background before Holmes consisted of seven years as a PE teacher at Whittier and Fremont schools and six years as an

First-year District 11 Superintendent Michael Thomas (left) was greeted outside Holmes Middle School in August by then-principal Rob Utter.

Westside Pioneer photo

assistant principal at Russell Middle School. He has held a Colorado principal's license for 14 years, he said.
“I love the Holmes community and working with middle school-aged children,” Ulrich told the Pioneer in an e-mailed statement. “I hope to lead Holmes, as principal, in a positive, inclusive manner for the remainder of this school year and possibly beyond. I plan to be at Holmes for many more years either as principal or assistant principal.”
A feeder for Coronado High, Holmes is located at 2455 Mesa Road and has about 650 students.

Westside Pioneer article
(Schools: Elementary & Middle Schools)

Would you like to respond to this article? The Westside Pioneer welcomes letters at editor@westsidepioneer.com. (Click here for letter-writing criteria.)