Volusia County principal could lose her job after 2 complaints this year

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Volusia County principal could lose her job based on allegations from the second complaint filed against her this year.

Dr. Cheryl Salerno, principal of Mainland High School, is on paid administrative leave for what the school district described as a potentially fireable offense.

Salerno received a written reprimand last month due to a texting scandal in which hundreds of freshman students were given a fake Advanced Placement exam for which they could not receive college credit.

The district said the new allegations are unrelated to that scandal.

The district said the new complaint is an academic issue, but officials would not say for how long it had been going on or if students or staff were the main witnesses of the complaint.

"Dr. Salerno has had a very good reputation. She has been at Mainland a very long time. She loves the school. I know she cares about her students. She has deep-down Buck pride," said Carl Persis, president of the Volusia County School Board. "When incidents are brought to our attention, we have to put that to the side and have a very objective investigation and go where the facts lead us."

Salerno has been the principal at Mainland High School since 2007. She had no prior disciplinary action on her record before last month.

Salerno will not return to Mainland High School this year. Tim Huth will take over instead.

The district said it could decide Salerno's fate by the end of the month.

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Cox Media Group