After spending more than an hour in nonpublic session, the Franklin School Board emerged to announce that Franklin High School Principal Alice Rogers-Farris will be returning after the holiday next week, but did not elaborate on the reasons for her absence from the school.

On Sept. 23, the superintendent, with the support of the school board, had placed Rogers-Farris, a former member of the Hill School Board and the School Administrative Unit 18 Board, on paid administrative leave. The board has not provided a reason for the action.

Parents, anxious to know why she was on leave and even more why they were not informed of the action, spoke out during the September board meeting. In contrast, all those in attendance were quiet on Friday night.

The Franklin School Board held a special meeting in the high school library on Friday to discuss the administrative leave in a nonpublic session. When the library doors reopened Superintendent Jo Ellen Divoll made a brief announcement:

"It is my responsibility to ensure the integrity and safety of our high school," said Divoll. "This required a short administrative leave in order to investigate complaints and ongoing concerns, and create a plan to address them. This has been done."

Divoll continued by saying Rogers-Farris will return on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and the plan will be implemented at that time.

No further explanation came from the nonpublic session and, back in public session, the school board voted unanimously to seal the minutes of Friday night's meeting for 60 days.