CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — With Principal Joe McCauley placed on Administrative Leave last month, Albemarle County Public Schools Acting Superintendent Chandra Hayes will select an interim principal for Hollymead Elementary for the upcoming school year, she announced in an email to Hollymead families and staff on Thursday.

“With school opening in six weeks, I recognize that Hollymead needs a strong leader in place to begin the work of building trust and helping students, families, and staff through this difficult time,” Hayes wrote in the email. “Unfortunately, attracting strong principal candidates through a competitive process at this time of year is unlikely. Therefore, I have decided to appoint an interim principal for the upcoming 2026-27 school year.”

McCauley was placed in administrative leave in June due to allegations currently being reviewed by the Albemarle School Board.

These allegations came in the aftermath of the arrest of Hollymead SEL Coach Michael Swiney due to allegations of sex crimes involving children, which occurred just a week-and-a-half before.

The backlash following the arrest led to the School Board asking ACPS Superintendent Matthew Haas to resign exactly one week after Swiney’s arrest.

Haas’ resignation led to Hayes’ appointment as Acting Superintendent less than a week later.

In her email to Hollymead families on Thursday, she said she had a number of potential candidates for the role of interim principal, “including those with ACPS principal experience and strong ties to the community.”

However, she stated she wanted to hear directly from families and staff to “help inform my decision and to give those candidates a full picture of what is expected from both the school division and the school community.”

Hayes said she was planning to meet in-person with families and staff at Hollymead later that day, where she planned to hear their feedback directly. She also included a Google Form in the email for families and staff to fill out if they were unable to attend the meeting tonight.

She said the form includes the same questions she’s planning to ask at tonight’s meeting, and families will have until Monday to fill it out. Afterward, she said she hopes to announce the interim principal as early as next week.

“Once I have an interim principal named, we will then take the time to adequately prepare for a thorough recruitment process for the next permanent leader of Hollymead Elementary,” Hayes said. “Our Human Resources team will reach out to the Hollymead community in February 2027 to receive your feedback, provide opportunities to be part of the selection process, and present clear timelines for the hiring process.”

Hayes emphasis on communication comes in direct contrast to many of the frustration levied onto both Haas and McCauley. At a contentious meeting at Hollymead on June 10, the day before Haas was asked to resign, many accused him of not responding to prior communication from parents.

Parents also accused McCauley of dismissing prior concerns regarding Swiney, which he denied.