A quick game of "musical principals" has left Ingram Elementary School with no chair, and Ingram parents are not terribly happy.

"I know our school represents only about 6 percent of the Montour School District," Scott Trevenen said to the Montour school board Thursday. But to the people of Ingram, he said, it is an intrinsic and important part of the community.

He said he'd been asked to speak on behalf of the Ingram Parent-Teacher Association, to express the hope that Ingram can again get a full-time principal after the departure of Eric Sparkenbaugh.

Dr. Sparkenbaugh is replacing William Stropkaj as principal at Forest Grove Elementary. Dr. Stropkaj is leaving Montour for a job at North Allegheny.

The Ingram PTA's wish will go unfulfilled, though, at least for the remainder of this school year. The school board hired James Dailey as a three-day-a-week substitute principal at Ingram. Mr. Dailey has served the district as a substitute principal before.

Superintendent Patrick Dworakowski and several board members assured Mr. Trevenen and a couple of other Ingram parents at the meeting that other Montour administrators would also be available to help cover the gap at Ingram.

"The school's going to be safe; the school's going to be controlled; the school's going to be staffed," board member Frank Dalmas said.

What will happen in the fall, however, is an unanswered question.

"Ingram will not be left without a principal; that's my bottom line," board member Andrew Julius said, but noted that "there are a number of different ways to accomplish things."

The problem with Ingram is that it is small, with about 200 children in grades K-4. Forest Grove has about 720, and Burkett has about 345.

To staff Ingram fully creates efficiency concerns, but "maybe we have to start thinking more about what's best for our kids and less about what's best for our taxpayers," Dr. Julius said. "And I say that as a taxpayer."