PETERSBURG – Even though she was not physically there, the presence of the current or former city school superintendent – depending upon who you ask – was still felt at Wednesday’s School Board meeting, the first since she left.

So was the silence that has enveloped the Petersburg City Public Schools since Feb. 23, the last day that Dr. Tamara Sterling was in the headquarters building. Prior to a public-comment period, board chairperson Kenneth Pritchett read a prepared statement that repeated basically what the system said last week – no comment.

“Please understand that the board does not intend to comment this evening, nor will we be responding to public comments regarding the superintendent at this time,” Pritchett said. “We will provide an update when one is available, and it is appropriate to do so.”

By that time, there was just a handful of citizens in the meeting room aside from PCPS staff. Earlier in the evening, the room was filled, but most of them were there for other reasons and had left by the time Pritchett read the statement.

Following the meeting, Pritchett was asked by The Progress-Index for clarity on Sterling’s status. The board maintains she is on administrative leave for an undisclosed reason, but both Sterling and the Virginia Department of Education are claiming she is out and VDOE was assisting PCPS with “transition.” Directly asked if she was an active employee still on the system roster, Pritchett replied, “Yes.”

The board has another meeting set for March 20. Asked if he expected the issue to be resolved by that meeting, Pritchett said, “Hopefully we will.”

A closed session preceding the open meeting to discuss “a personnel matter

In the interim, Dr. John Farrelly, the PCPS chief of staff, is sitting in the dais seat occupied by Sterling since September 2022. Pritchett said Farrelly is also classified as a deputy superintendent in the system, which means he acts as chief in the superintendent’s absence.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg School Board continues silent treatment on superintendent