Trailside Elementary School will have a new head administrator in the fall following former principal Tricia Wilbourne’s departure halfway through the school year.
The Park City School District hired Wilbourne to fill the position last spring and offered her a one-year contract set to expire this summer. However, district officials confirmed last week that Wilbourne is no longer serving as principal.
They did not explain the change, saying the district does “not comment on personnel matters.”
Parents concerned about the seemingly abrupt change told The Park Record that Wilbourne alerted the Trailside School Community Council of her contract’s termination earlier this year. Wilbourne was reportedly informed about her termination shortly before winter break but planned to stay until the end of the school year.
However, the school district sent parents an email last week saying that Wilbourne would be leaving the position immediately, with Career and Technical Education Director Tracy Fike taking over as interim principal. Fike previously served as Trailside’s principal before transitioning to career and technical education last summer, which opened the door for Wilbourne’s appointment.
The school board on Tuesday unanimously voted to hire Alane Gaspari, a longtime Park City educator who is currently an assistant principal at Ecker Hill Middle School, to fill Trailside’s principal position next school year. She will officially start on July 1.
“Gaspari has been a cornerstone of the Park City School District since 2007, with a career deeply rooted in elementary education,” the school district said in a press release on Wednesday. “Her experience includes teaching first and third grades, serving as an interventionist and holding the position of student services dean for both McPolin Elementary School and Jeremy Ranch Elementary School.”
The press release said Gaspari is a graduate of Columbia University and has served on the board of directors for Park City Reads, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping readers with dyslexia.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Alane Gaspari into this new role at Trailside,” said Superintendent Lyndsay Huntsman. “Alane’s institutional knowledge, combined with her expertise in literacy and student services, makes her the ideal leader to build upon Trailside’s success. She’s a proven advocate for student growth who understands the unique spirit of our community.”
The school district said there will be opportunities for families to meet with Gaspari before the school year ends, “with details to be shared in the coming weeks.”