Michigan school principal resigns after he made 51 grade changes, investigation finds

SPRINGLAKE, Mich. - A high school principal in western Michigan has resigned after a grade-changing investigation.

Mike Gilchrist was involved in 51 grade changes without teacher consent over an eight-year period at Spring Lake High School, according to a summary of a Feb. 10 school board meeting.

Gilchrist apologized, and his resignation was accepted by the board, the Grand Haven Tribune reported. He had led the school since 2001.

"The staff were completely blindsided by this and were unaware of any of this going on," Spring Lake Superintendent Dennis Furton said.

Some grade changes were for hardship reasons, though not a majority. Changes sometimes were made months after the end of a term; in one example, nearly two years.

"Students who were by all accounts not in distress or experiencing any particular difficulty seemed to get a hand when a hand was not needed," according to school board meeting minutes.

MORE: Michigan State Police searching for northern cabin stolen in late 2021

School board member Curt Theune said Gilchrist was a strong principal.

"Yes, mistakes were made and I can’t argue that," Theune said. "But we need to remember the positives of his 21 years as principal. To be able to give these kids graduation, prom, homecoming during the pandemic, he worked out those details to make that happen."