This past Tuesday marked the eighth week since the auditor’s report was released to the North Kingstown School Committee and public. It also marked the third week since the school committee, in a majority decision, asked for Principal Foley’s resignation.

One might think enough time had passed for the storm to subside and for another issue to take precedence. Not so.

Have you seen the “NK... is Foley” bumper stickers?

In an effort to quell the insanity, let’s review some facts, starting with what might be the most crucial part of this whole brouhaha: unless he makes the decision to leave his own,Gerald Foley isn’t going anywhere - at least not this year.

Yes, the school committee asked for his resignation but the committee lacks the authority to force him to resign. Only the superintendent has that power and he’s not going to use it.

Even if Dr. Thornton supported the school committee’s decision, and we’re not saying he does or he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make sense for the school district to pursue that avenue. Such a measure would undoubtedly result in a long and rather expensive legal battle - expensive, that is, for the district and its taxpayers, not for Foley.

Foley has access to free legal representation through the Rhode Island Association of School Principals. The school committee, on the other hand, does not. Whatever bills the committee was to accrue in legal fees trying to enforce disciplinary action against Foley would eventually be assumed by taxpayers.

And, honestly, would be the point? If the administration really wants Foley out, it need only wait until the end of the school year. The administration has until December to notify him and any other employee whose one-year contract is set to expire on June 30, 2010 whether or not their contracts will be renewed or renegotiated for the next school year.

Until the administration makes that call, the town is due for a break from this saga. At the very least, some more attention should be given toward determining the logical next step.

Regardless of whose ‘side’ you’ve taken in this whole affair, most people would agree that the auditor’s report showed there is room for improvement in the accounting policies and procedures governing at least one of the school department’s major accounts.

Supporting the school committee in its work to remedy some of those weaknesses would be a good place to go from here. In the very least it would be more productive than continuing to chatter about things that won’t come to pass.