Parents call for transparency from Emmanuel Christian after Head of School abruptly departs: “There is something that is not right”

DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN)—Emmanuel Christian School in Dothan announced a major change in its administration by replacing its head of school, and many parents have raised their voices and eyebrows with questions on their minds.

On Monday night, the ECS Board announced that former Head of School Michelle McDaniel had departed the school effective immediately. Paraswun Brown, a longtime educator, replaced her.

Sources say Emmanuel Christian School is facing some financial issues, even raising tuition due to a drop in enrollment over the past couple of years, from around 375 kindergarten through 12th-grade students in the fall of 2022 to less than 150 in the fall of 2024.

The school says they have had kids leave, but they have also had new students enroll.

Following Monday night’s announcement, parents took to social media, calling for the board to provide answers.

“I think there is a bigger underlying issue than if they would just open the books and say here it is. I think everybody including I know me would feel so much better to know that hey if we made some mistakes, we made some mistakes and that’s ok, but there on some consequences to making mistakes,” said Blake Popwell, a parent to a student at ECS.

The board did not mention why McDaniel departed from the school but thanked her for her service and wished her luck in the future.

Following Brown’s abrupt appointment, less than 24 hours into her job as Head of School, one of her first tasks was dispelling a community rumor that the school was closing.

Brown said that is not the case and that she, the board, faculty, staff, and parents will do what is best for the students.

“There have been rumors in the community about the school closing. I want to assure you that is not the case,” Brown stated in a release to WDHN.

Popwell says he spoke with McDaniel a few days before she left the school about some of the challenges the school was facing but reemphasized the school’s vision.

“The vision of the school from Mrs. Mcdaniel’s perspective was to train up at the school with biblical principles and get a worldly education. That was something I could get behind,” Popwell told WDHN.

But now, after the change in command, Popwell is unsure

“There is something that is not right. There is something somewhere that is tweaked, and the focal point between what the board is saying and what Mrs. Mcdaniel was saying went ary and I hate it for the school,” Popwell said

Brown says that the board will meet with the parent’s organization and with the parents of students at the school shortly and that during the transition, Bethel Christian Academy will provide “guidance and expertise” to the interim head of school and Emmanuel’s Board of Directors.

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