Western Wayne Schools is relying on a familiar face to jump in for the third time as its interim superintendent.
WWS’ board hired Alice Johnson as its interim leader during a brief special meeting Friday, May 22. The motion to select Johnson was approved 4-1 immediately after approving a recommendation of separation of employment for Employee 172.
The board didn’t publicly name superintendent Kelly J. Plank as that employee, citing personnel procedures.
Brent Fortman voted no on both motions.
While board president Kris Bex didn’t elaborate on the nonunanimous vote after the meeting, he told WWN that “I think everybody voted the way they thought they should in the best interest of the corporation.”
Bex also told WWN that Johnson is expected to begin work the week of May 24 after the Memorial Day holiday.
Bex said Johnson is someone they’ve worked with before who can help WWS through the transition in a gentle, easy way with no big learning curve.
“She knows the lay of the land, she knows people, we know her, she knows us,” Bex said.
Bex said Johnson’s return to WWS ideally will be as short as possible.
“We don’t want to have an interim any longer than necessary,” Bex said. “We want to make the best possible choices for the corporation to move forward, continuing down the path toward a referendum, full speed ahead.”
Johnson briefly served as WWS’ interim superintendent during the transition between George Philhower and Andy Stover, who was hired in August 2021, and the transition between Stover and Plank last summer.
Johnson is an education professor at Purdue University and a former Centerville-Abington teacher and Northeastern school board member.
WWS’ board worked with Indiana School Boards Association staff to recruit candidates before hiring Plank in July 2025. Plank had previously worked at Northeastern Wayne and Richmond Community Schools and other schools in Indiana.
On May 11, WWS put Plank on administrative leave the day she was formally charged with one count of Level 5 felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury in Henry County, where she lives.
Plank is accused of injuring a woman April 5 during an argument at the Elks Lodge No. 484 in New Castle. Plank’s attorney entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf. No additional court dates have been set.
WWN left phone and email messages for Plank on May 11 seeking comment, but hasn’t received a response.
WWS’ board conducted an executive session May 19 to receive information about an individual’s alleged misconduct or discuss the job performance evaluation of individual employees and to discuss strategy with respect to litigation that is either pending or threatened specifically in writing,
Before taking action on the employment matters, the board unanimously approved a $1,000 donation from Dot Foods for Lincoln Middle/High School’s Business Professionals of America chapter.
A version of this article will appear in the May 27 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.