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Greencastle School Board approves three new administrators
The end of the 2023-24 school year featured a bit of shuffling in the administrative ranks at Greencastle Community Schools.
Departed are former Greencastle High School Principal Chad Rodgers for the same position at West Lafayette High School as well as Deer Meadow Primary School Principal Mike McHugh and Greencastle Middle School Asst. Principal Lisa Cupp, both to retirement.
While former GHS Asst. Principal Yolanda Goodpaster was elevated to principal back in April, the move still left the corporation with her old job to fill.
On Monday, the Greencastle School Board found the remaining puzzle pieces, hiring Brittany Cooper as the new Deer Meadow principal, transferring Adam McMickle from GHS director of student services to assistant principal and hiring Scott Tucker as GMS assistant principal.
As a lifelong Putnam County resident, Cooper will have a bit of a homecoming in her new post. In a letter to staff sent out Monday, she noted that she is already quite familiar with the school, particularly as a parent.
“As a Greencastle resident, community member and parent of students who attend Greencastle Schools, I can think of no greater honor than to serve in the Greencastle Community School Corp.,” Cooper wrote. “For the past seven years, at least one of my three children have attended Deer Meadow and have been blessed by the love, encouragement and education they have received by the teachers and staff at Deer Meadow.”
Cooper has spent 17 years as an educator, most recently as the director of elementary education for Crawfordsville Community Schools. Prior posts also include principal of New Market Elementary in the South Montgomery district, assistant principal and guidance counselor at Crawfordsville Middle School and elementary special education teacher and McClelland Elementary in MSD of Wayne Township.
“As a leader it is my mission to lead a school with a focus on student growth and achievement, teacher support and a positive culture, in which every person who walks through our doors feels connected, welcomed and safe in our learning community,” Cooper wrote. “I believe that together we can continue to develop the already positive culture and make Deer Meadow a place where teachers want to work, students want to learn, and families feel empowered to help their children succeed.”
McMickle is entering his second year with GCSC, having been hired to helm the guidance department just last summer following two years with the Indiana Department of Education as a social studies content specialist.
At the time of McMickle’s initial hire, Gibboney noted that he had an administrative license, not a counseling license, thus he did not have the “director of guidance” title.
Prior to his time with IDOE, McMickle served in classroom and administrative positions for Indianapolis Public Schools.
Tucker comes to GMS from Mooresville Schools, where he served as assistant principal of North Madison Elementary. He previously served as a Project Lead the Way teacher at Paul Hadley Middle School, another Mooresville school.
Prior to his time at Mooresville, Tucker served students in Monroe-Gregg Schools, first teaching both second and fourth grades at Monrovia Elementary School, then teaching science at Monrovia Middle School before being promoted to dean of students and assistant principal, serving more than five years, part of that time as assistant to current GCSC Asst. Supt. Becky McPherson.
He is entering his 19th year as an educator.
Tucker is the third current Greencastle administrator with prior administrative experience with Monroe-Gregg Schools, joining McPherson and Goodpaster.
During the meeting, the board also took time to honor its departing administrators. McHugh spent 35 total years as an educator, 11 of them as a principal at both Deer Meadow and Ridpath. Cupp has been in education for 17 years, nine of them at GMS, including the last six as assistant principal.
Recently retired Transportation Director Kyle Clearwaters was also honored for his 22 years of service to GCSC.
The turnover in leadership isn’t simply among the administrators, as Monday was the first meeting since Mike White resigned his post effective June 15, and the last meeting with Brian Cox, who was recently replaced by the Greencastle City Council in favor of Kathryn Dory for the four-year term that begins July 1.
“I’d like to congratulate Kathryn Dory,” Gibboney said. “I’d also like to thank Brian and Mike for supporting Greencastle Schools.”
Meetings to select White’s replacement are set for Thursday and Friday of this week. Seven candidates are in consideration and will be interviewed by the board.
With the return to school six weeks away, administrative openings weren’t the only ones filled on Monday. The board also approved the hire of Shawn Golsberry as a fourth-grade teacher at Tzouanakis, Riley Bruce as STEM teacher at Tzouanakis and Mariah Monnett as art teacher for Deer Meadow and Ridpath.
In other business, the board:
• Approved a proposal for Signworks to do additional work that should be among the final steps in the major construction projects the school has undertaken in the last three years. This will include new graphics, painting and lettering at the east entrance of McAnally Center as well as a nod to school history in the connector between GHS and McAnally.
“One of the really neat things also is that when you walk up the connector from the high school to McAnally, we’re going to have a historical timeline, just to show some of the different periods of time and some of the different people that have influenced our school,” Gibboney said. “Hopefully to break up a little bit of that institutional feel. When you do things and make things fresh, paint things white, then you have to add a little more pop to it and make it a little more kid and staff friendly.”
• Signed off on an increase to meal prices for the coming year. Elementary lunch prices will not be $3.35, while it will go to $3.45 at the middle school and high school. Breakfast will not be $1.95 at all schools.
Gibboney also noted an increase to a la carte items, adding that some snack items will begin being offered at the elementary schools on Wednesdays and Fridays.
“Obviously we know that inflation has been rough,” Gibboney said. “We have to make sure we are able to sustain our food service and cover our costs.”
• Accepted a $1,500 donation from the United Way of Central Indiana to Tzouanakis Intermediate School.
• Heard from Gibboney that the July meeting, set for Monday, July 22 at 6 p.m., will feature board reorganization. This includes approving the corporation attorney and treasurer, setting a meeting schedule and electing officers.
• Approved a number of additional personnel items:
Resignations: Jalyn Duff as Tzouanakis third-grade teacher and GHS assistant girls’ basketball coach, Skyler Ward as Ridpath second-grade teacher, Bailee Barker as Deer Meadow/Ridpath art teacher, Jennie Riddell as Deer Meadow special services teacher, Morgan Engle as Deer Meadow speech/language pathologist, Nichole Hawkens as Deer Meadow guidance counselor; Yolanda Goodpaster as district safety specialist, Brenda Beams as GMS part-time custodian, Myrna Scheuermann as Tzouanakis media assistant, Kayla Mahoy as Tzouanakis instructional assistant, Rachel Curtis as Tzouanakis secretary/ECA treasurer, Kendra Green as GHS instructional assistant, Whitney Reeder as GHS head track coach, Jessie Koosman as GMS assistant track coach and GMS student council sponsor.
New hires: Christlynn Jones as Deer Meadow custodian, Richard Sutlerin as Tzouanakis custodian, Marcus Dobbs as GHS custodian, Julie Bernier as GMS part-time custodian, Frank Shafer as GHS part-time custodian, Karen Hayes and Mikayla Oropeza Vega as bus monitors,
Christopher Scott as maintenance assistant.
Leaves of absence: Katherine Bonnoront as Deer Meadow first-grade teacher (Nov. 6-Dec. 20), Rachel Clark as GMS head custodian (Aug. 19-Nov. 11).
Transfer: Kimberly Clark from first-grade to second-grade teacher at Ridpath.
Substitutes: Madison Luzader as GMS custodian, Carson Whited as custodian, Lyndsey Bloomer as bus driver.
Extracurricular activities: Maggie Meyer and Sarah Spangler hired as GHS assistant volleyball coaches; Kris Tomasino and Jeff McCall approved as GHS volunteer assistant football coaches; Kaleb Camacho approved as athletic fall and spring event coordinator; Andrew Tirrotta approved as athletic winter event coordinator; Tonya Welker hired as GMS head cross country coach; Joy Pershing hired as GMS assistant cross country coach; Matthew Chase Dunigan hired as GMS head football coach; Robert Hedge hired as GHS stage director; Morgan Asher hired as GHS music accompanist; Noah Wilson, Matthew Williams and Tina Williamson approved as GHS junior class sponsors; Matthew Williams approved as Spanish club sponsor; Pamalee Smith hired as GHS arts Academic Super Bowl coach; Gayle Hansen hired as GHS math Academic Super Bowl coach; Brenda Meyer approved as GHS Ambassadors Club sponsor and National Honor Society sponsor; Dessa Frank approved as GHS art club sponsor; Kara Jedele approved as GHS DECA club sponsor; Brad Kingma approved as GHS environmental club sponsor; Dan Hankee approved as GHS FCA sponsor; Brenda Weeks approved as GHS FCCLA sponsor; Amy Berry approved as GHS French club sponsor; Donovan Wheeler approved as GHS Ink Pot sponsor; Nicole Burkhalter approved as GHS Latin club sponsor; Jessica Lawless approved as GMS student council sponsor; Riley Wilson hired as GHS student lifeguard.
Board members Ed Wilson, Cox, Dale Pierce and Megan Inman were present for the meeting.