Former White Rock principal in Waukesha retires

Published on: 4/26/2010

Waukesha - Dorothy Smith, who was the principal of White Rock Elementary School before she was removed from her position in late January, has retired, according to Waukesha School Superintendent Todd Gray.

Gray said the official date of Smith's retirement was March 11. She had been an administrator for eight years and was with the district for 21 years, he said.

Smith is the only African-American principal in the system and is also bilingual. White Rock is the district's oldest bilingual school but it has been on the chopping block, which has raised protests from parents, who are mostly Latino.

Smith said she had already put in her papers for retirement and had planned to retire at the end of the year, but the retirement date was pushed up.

"It was a mutual decision," she said.

When Smith was removed from White Rock, Gray refused to give any details, saying it was a leave and a personnel matter.

As for plans for closing White Rock, scheduled for the fall of 2011 school year, Gray said the School Board has not made a final decision. But the administration's recommendation remains that the school be closed, he said.

He has said the school should close because there are other bilingual programs in the district and that students are bused from throughout the district to attend White Rock, which is a smaller school.