Interim principal starts at West Potomac

Dale Rumberger, a longtime teacher and administrator in the Fairfax County Public School system, will serve as interim principal at West Potomac High School while Principal Alex Case is on leave.

Rumberger has previously been a principal at South County, Westfield and Chantilly, and worked as a teacher at Lake Braddock and Thomas Jeffeson. He started at West Potomac on Tuesday, according to a letter sent to parents Friday. 

“Effective Tuesday, we will be providing additional supports to the administrative team while Mr. Case is on leave,” wrote Terry J. Dade, the Assistant Superintendent of Region 3. “Mr. Dale Rumberger will be joining the team as an interim principal and will remain in this capacity until further notice.”

FCPS announced Feb. 13 that Case, as well as assistant principal Michelle Lyttle, were on leave. No explanation for the administrators’ sudden absence was given by the school system, and a spokesman declined to comment on the nature of the leave or say when it began. 

Case has been principal at West Potomac since 2013, when he took over in the wake of former principal Cliff Hardison’s death the previous summer. 

Here is the full text of the FCPS letter sent to parents:

Dear West Potomac Community:

The Region 3 team remains committed to ensuring that West Potomac High School continues to have a strong administrative team in place to ensure academic success for all of our students. Effective Tuesday, we will be providing additional supports to the administrative team while Mr. Case is on leave. Mr. Dale Rumberger will be joining the team as an interim principal and will remain in this capacity until further notice.

Mr. Rumberger is a retired FCPS principal who has completed 33 years of teaching and administrative leadership experiences at Lake Braddock, Thomas Jefferson, and Chantilly High Schools and Hayfield Secondary School. He opened Westfield High School in 2000 and South County High School in 2004. Most notable among Mr. Rumberger’s many accomplishments is being named the FCPS Principal of the Year in 2007.

Please join me in welcoming Mr. Rumberger to West Potomac High School. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Terry J. Dade
Assistant Superintendent, Region 3