MARYSVILLE — The protest spread as quick as you can say Twitter.
Students at Marysville Pilchuck High School, upset by rumors of a pending transfer of their principal, Andrew Frost, launched a protest on social media under the Twitter hashtag “lostwithoutFrost.”
By Friday morning, signs were posted throughout the school, with slogans such as “Keep Frost” and “Mr. Frost Belongs at MP.”
Students disclosed plans on Twitter for a walkout Monday and urged other students to join the protest.
Those plans quickly came to halt when their principal made a school-wide announcement Friday, telling students that Frost would be back next year.
Cody Anderson, a senior, said he could hear the cheers all across the campus of 1,150 students.
“We went crazy,” he said. “It was awesome.” Students cheered and clapped. Some climbed on their desks and others threw paper in the air in celebration, he said.
“It could easily have been at a football game,” Anderson said. “That’s how excited we were, if not more excited.”
Superintendent Becky Berg said that she met with the high school’s staff Thursday and with Frost on Friday morning.
Berg said there had been discussion of transferring Frost to another school, just as decisions have been made to move two other principals in the district. “It’s the time of year when we consider administrative moves and assignments,” she said.
Berg said she wasn’t surprised by the level of passion students expressed for Frost. “I was pleased they had such affection for the principal,” she said. “He’s obviously built a great relationship with the students.”
Berg said that the titles and job duties of the high school’s three administrators may not be the same next year. Frost “absolutely will be an administrator,” she said. “If we decide he’s an associate or assistant, all that is under consideration. … We are going to try to assign duties based on strengths and figure out the titles later.”
Frost said he was told Friday that he would be returning to the high school next year during a meeting at the district’s offices. He said he can remain at the school “as long as I want to.”
Frost said he could hear the reaction on the school’s campus when he announced he would be returning. “It was very special to receive that type of immediate response,” he said.
Frost, 41, has been with the school district for four years, previously serving as principal at a school in Longview. “I’ve always been very blessed to be the principal at Marysville Pilchuck,” he said. He said his goal is to always treat students with respect and “to know them and support them in their goals.”
Sophomore Megan Owens said Frost is so popular because “he’s honestly everywhere here on campus and tries to make this the best place possible for learning.”
He also attends after-school activities, from soccer games and track meets to band and choir concerts, she said.
“Everything he does is a good vibe,” Owens said. “That’s why we appreciate him being there so much.”
Anderson said students feel they made an impact with their protests. “I think that’s something that future Marysville Pilchuck students will appreciate and the kids here can hold on to that for the rest of our lives,” he said.
“I’ve never seen our school come together for anything like this,” he said. “We believe Mr. Frost should be here. We got what we wanted.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
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