Principal, under review by district, steps down
Cheryl Cendan, principal at Millennium 6-12 in Tamarac, is under investigation by the district and has abruptly stepped down.
The move comes after a former clerk at the school, Katherine Mastrianni, sent a letter to the school district in April accusing Cendan and her family members of running a side business at the school.
Mastrianni said that on some early release days, when students were dismissed two hours earlier than normal, Cendan allowed students whose parent signed a form and paid $15 each to get out of class entirely, not wear their school uniforms and have a fun day in the gym.
She said it seemed improper since 75 percent of students at the school qualify for free and reduced price lunch.
“Not all kids can afford that, and their parents would complain about it,” she said.
Cendan, 49, could not be reached for comment. She started with the district in 1991 and was paid $126,555 a year. She has been the only principal at Millennium since it opened in 2002.
Mastrianni resigned from the district on April 18, citing security concerns and a hostile work environment.
Mastrianni said that on regular school days there would be concession stands selling chips, candy and soda and that Cendan’s mother would be among those selling the goodies.
District policy doesn’t allow schools to sell food until at least one hour after the last lunch period, so as not to compete with the federally subsidized school food service. Homemade food was also often sold at the school, which is not allowed by the school district, Mastrianni said.
Mastrianni also alleged that Cendan’s mother ran the school’s booster club while her son provided tutoring services to the school on Saturday.
Cendan will be resigning within the