Key West Principal John Welsh and Coral Shores High School Principal Ron Martin weren't on the list of administrators whose contracts were approved this week by the Monroe County School Board, but the two will be added to another list and approved at the board's meeting next Thursday, board member Steve Pribramsky said Wednesday.

That vote will resolve an oversight from the board's Tuesday meeting, and clear up confusion over the acting schools superintendent's assurance that the popular principals would remain at their posts another year before retiring.

Following weeks of controversy and conflicting decisions on whether the principals' contracts would be renewed, acting Superintendent Mike Henriquez read a statement to the board Tuesday recommending they keep their jobs another year. The district would then advertise those positions and hire new principals for the following year, Henriquez said.

But the list of contracts recommended for renewal had changed several times in the preceding week, and the names were omitted by mistake. In fact, Martin's name remained on a list of retiring administrators, and that list was approved by the board.

"I thought we were voting to approve the two principals' contracts, but they aren't there," said Chairman Andy Griffiths, irritated about the confusion.

"We keep fumbling the ball on critical steps," complained Pribramsky. "It doesn't make Mike look good, the board look good, and it doesn't engender confidence to the public."

But Henriquez, who assumed responsibility for running the district June 11 after Superintendent Randy Acevedo was suspended by the governor, realized the mistake and fixed it.

Board member John Dick was sympathetic.

"Mike has fallen into a position with a lot of pressure in it due to a lot of circumstance beyond his control, and he's being pulled from all sides," Dick said. "He's doing the best job he can."

The list glitch is not the acting superintendent's only challenge in his temporary role. He had to withdraw his own name from the contract renewal list after attorney Latour Lafferty pointed out that state law did not allow Henriquez to nominate himself for employment. Lafferty told board members they could nominate Henriquez for another year's contract if he failed to appoint someone else to the job within 30 days.

Board member Debra Walker, attending the meeting via phone from Belize, asked Lafferty and School Board attorney Richard Collins whether the board could extend Henriquez's contract for 31 days. That, she said, would give the board the chance to either renew the contract for another year or find someone else to fill the position.

jguerra@keysnews.com