Lincoln High School’s new varsity football coach is a familiar face to the Golden Eagles.
Western Wayne Schools’ board hired Jeremy Bane as head football coach on Feb. 14. Bane, a special-education teacher at Lincoln, is LHS’ varsity wrestling head coach.
Superintendent Andy Stover told the board that Bane “has been doing an incredible job with the wrestling team” and is well known around the state. An eight-member committee of stakeholders interviewed four candidates who applied for the job.
In an email, Stover wrote, “The factors that went into hiring Jeremy as our next head football coach were his proven track record in high school athletics, his commitment to the student-athletes at Lincoln, and most importantly his desire to build a program from the youth leagues up to our varsity level.”
Bane is a Richmond product who has several years of coaching experience at different schools. At the board meeting, he said he is excited about the opportunity to build the Lincoln football program.
He takes over from Danny Capps, who resigned after two seasons in which the team went 1-16.
The board also approved hiring Don Crumm as the varsity volleyball head coach.
Nurse thanked
Stover also spoke about the decision to close both school buildings due to student and staff illness. An online learning day took place Feb. 8 and schools were closed Feb. 9. Illnesses had been increasing for about two weeks prior.
On Wednesday, Feb. 7, about 30% of students missed school and many faculty and staff were out. A number of students who came to school were sent home early after getting sick.
Stover consulted with Wayne County Health Department and Indiana Department of Education before deciding to close the buildings. He praised staff and students for flexibility during the closure.
“The buildings were sanitized thoroughly by our dedicated custodial staff. We not only cleaned all surfaces but also used a fogging disinfection approach to kill all bacteria, viruses and other illness-causing germs. The work was carried out by Sodexo.”
Stover said district nurse Kim Pattison told him she had not seen a similar situation in her 19 years as school corporation nurse.
“Collectively, Western Wayne would like to praise the tremendous work that Kim Pattison does on a daily basis. With the number of illnesses in the district last week we firsthand saw her dedication and commitment to so many. Kim has always put others over herself, and it was very apparent as we navigated these sicknesses,” he said.
2024-2025 calendar
The board also approved the 2024-25 school calendar. It is based on the Whitewater Career Center in Connersville because Lincoln students attend there.
School will start for students on Aug. 7, with fall break Oct. 21-25, Thanksgiving break Nov. 27-29, and holiday break Dec. 23-Jan. 3, 2025. School resumes Jan. 6, 2025, with spring break March 24-28. Final student attendance day will be May 23, with commencement on June 1.
Personnel updates
The board accepted the following resignations: Scott Ritchie, middle school social studies, high school weightlifting and alternative school; Jeremy Troutwine, high school varsity baseball co-head coach; Sophia Baker and Camille Baker, middle school special ed instructional aides.
The board’s next regular meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, in Lincoln Middle/High School Room 80, 215 E. Parkway Drive, Cambridge City. The public may attend.
A version of this article appeared in the February 21 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.