A hearing has been set for June 8 at 7 p.m. for South Mountain Principal Tom Gibbons to make his case to the Board of Education that he should keep his job.

Gibbons confirmed that he requested that the proceedings be public, though he had the right to opt for a closed session, and the date and time of the hearing have been agreed upon verbally. He said he received a letter Wednesday from Superintendent Brian Osborne detailing the reasons for why his name wasn't on the list of non-tenured staff to be reinstated in the next school year.

When that occurs, the affected employee is entitled to what is known as a Donalson hearing. According to the rules of a Donaldson hearing, Gibbons can speak on his own behalf and call supporters to address the Board within reasonable time limits, but representatives of the school district can't respond.

At the end of the hearing, in order for the matter of retaining him to come to a vote, a Board member would have to make a motion, and another would have to second it. It would then be decided by a majority vote of the nine members. If no motion is made and seconded, no vote will be taken.

"By calling for this hearing, he's asking for the Board to reinstate him in spite of the superintendent's not recommending him," said Board President Mark Gleason, who's presided at about a half-dozen Donaldson hearings—mostly in closed session—in three years on the Board. Only one of those resulted in the staff member's reinstatement.

Earlier this month, about 100 South Mountain School and Annex parents gathered at a Board of Education meeting to show support for Gibbons—who's finishing his third year as principal and would qualify for tenure, if retained—and urge the Board to override the superintendent's decision.