Carrboro High School Principal Helena Thomas Reassigned

Starting Monday, July 21, 2025, Helena Thomas, the principal of Carrboro High School, will transition to a new position within the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Instructional Services Division. This announcement follows her temporary administrative leave, which began on June 2nd, prompted by a staged walkout and protest on May 29th. 

Superintendent Rodney Trice stated in a press release that this reassignment aims to help Carrboro High School regain stability and enhance operations after a series of ongoing disruptions.

Approximately 100 students and staff walked out in support of teachers who have been struggling to receive adequate work accommodations under Thomas’s leadership. Both students and faculty claim that Thomas fostered a toxic atmosphere, characterized by a lack of trust, transparency, and inadequate support for both students and teachers. Students also claim Thomas ignored bullying,  young men gaining access to girls’ lavatories through the ceilings, and uneven distribution of consequences. 

The faculty and staff of Carrboro High School expressed their disapproval of Thomas’s actions in a letter to the school administration. You can read the complete letter below.

“We are reaching out to express serious concerns from CHS faculty, staff, and parents regarding Principal Dr. Helena Thomas and her leadership team. In April the district renewed her contract  or four more years despite a stated commitment to data-driven decisions. Our Teacher Working Conditions survey results have dropped to abysmal levels similar to Dr. Thomas’s previous school, and our Panorama data shows alarming declines in school climate and morale. We are curious what data supported her contract renewal.”

“ These challenges have deeply affected our school’s culture and climate, contributing to low staff morale, increased turnover, and ultimately limiting our ability to fully support students. As educators, we entered and remain in this profession because of our unwavering commitment to helping children succeed. We need conditions that allow us to do that work effectively.” Stated via letter. “We need to see action before we leave for summer. We respectfully request a clear and actionable response by Thursday, May 22 from the Board and Doctors Hamlet and Trice that includes an outside party, such as Dispute Settlement Center, who will facilitate restorative conversations between admin and staff and follow up action items for admin.”

Additionally, TLR reported last month that the Chapel Hill Carrboro NAACP expressed their concerns regarding Thomas’s leave at a press conference on June 11th.

“In light of the recent walkout by students and parents on May 29, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP insists that the District Office communicates and follows proper protocols and fair due process before taking any corrective actions against Dr. Thomas,” branch president Herman Foushee said. “Our support for Dr. Thomas emphasizes the NAACP’s commitment to the intersectionality of racial justice and employment and economic equity.”

Also, the branch requested that CHCCS retain Dr. Thomas in her current role, in its full capacity, until an equitable and fair process is established to determine the facts and whether any action is, in fact, warranted. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP also praised Thomas’ work as principal, noting she was offered a new four-year contract in April.

“Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP maintains that Carrboro High School has continued to excel as a top school in the district under Dr. Thomas’ leadership, as evidenced by the data points below. Because of her stellar performance, the District Office offered her a new four-year contract on April 17.

However, while Thomas was on leave, the school district conducted an investigation and found no evidence of misconduct or intentional wrongdoing. Nevertheless, Trice emphasized that “a fresh start with a change in leadership is necessary to ensure we are meeting the needs of staff, students, and families with confidence and clarity.”

Trice also mentioned in a press release that Associate Principal Diego Mureño and Assistant Principal Tracey Lockhart will remain in their current roles to provide essential continuity for the 2025-26 academic year, as the district works to finalize a plan for appointing an interim principal.

The letter reads, “Dear Carrboro High School families (desplazarse hacia abajo para ver el mensaje en español),

I’m writing to share a leadership change at Carrboro High School. I’ve made the decision to reassign Dr. Helena Thomas to a role within our centrally-based Instructional Services Division, effective Monday, July 21. This change is intended to support Carrboro High School in restoring stability and strengthening operations following a period of protracted disruptions. These challenges have impacted the school’s ability to function as efficiently and effectively as possible, and this decision reflects my commitment to helping the CHS community move forward with renewed unity and focus.”

“As part of this leadership transition, district leadership and I reviewed a range of concerns raised in staff, parent and student communications, as well as recent public demonstrations. Through this investigation, we did not find evidence of misconduct or intentional wrongdoing by the principal. However, a fresh start with a change in leadership is necessary to ensure we are meeting the needs of staff, students and families with confidence and clarity.”

“I want to express my appreciation to Dr. Thomas for her service to Carrboro High and her continued service to our school district. I am grateful that she will remain part of the CHCCS team in a new capacity. Associate Principal Diego Mureño and Assistant Principal Tracey Lockhart, who joined the team this summer, will provide important continuity as we prepare for the 2025-26 school year. District administrators are currently finalizing plans for an interim principal, and we will share another communication with those details as soon as possible.”

Thank you for your continued support of Carrboro High School.

Warmly,
Rodney N. Trice, Ed.D. Superintendent

According to her LinkedIn profile, Thomas has been the principal of Carrboro High since the 2023-24 school year, having previously held the position of high school principal in the Alamance-Burlington School System.