WWS ‘lucky’ to hire new superintendent

A few hours before officially being hired as their superintendent, Melissa McIntire exchanged high-fives with Western Wayne Schools students and walked kindergartners to their classrooms.

Wayne County had postponed the first three days of school because of catastrophic community flooding. Monday, Aug. 17, might have been one of the most unique and rewarding first days in her 26 years in education.

WWS’ board unanimously approved McIntire during its rescheduled Aug. 17 meeting.

No one attending spoke during the brief public hearing regarding McIntire’s proposed contract before the meeting began.

However, McIntire was warmly greeted with an enthusiastic “Woohoo!” from Lincoln Middle/High School Principal Melissa Zimmerman and hearty applause from the audience and board as the vote was recorded.

“We are lucky to have her,” said Kris Bex, board president.

In turn, McIntire said she’s very blessed to work with “amazing” WWS employees, “outstanding” board members and caring town leaders she’s met in recent days.

“It’s an excellent community,” she told WWN after the meeting. “I’m very proud to be serving as superintendent.”

After candidate interviews were conducted and McIntire was the sole finalist, she began working for WWS on Aug. 3 as interim superintendent, replacing Alice Johnson, who served in that role over the summer. She’s grateful for the days when she became acquainted with staff and the community before the flood.

McIntire spent full days with several WWS departments, including facilities, transportation, food service, finance, human resources, principals and technology, to learn more about their operations.

She said building relationships and trust with employees, board members and the community is very important.

“It takes a lot to open a school, let alone dealing with a flood prior to, and I’m very impressed with our teachers and admin team,” she said, noting their dedication to getting students back in school and offering snacks and groceries along with meals.

McIntire isn’t surprised by the compassion she’s seeing. She researched WWS when the job became available and said she was really drawn to the close-knit community.

She drove around to learn more during the application process, and talked with several area superintendents she knows who spoke highly of the school corporation and community.

Working for a rural district comes second nature to McIntire.

The native Hoosier was born and raised in Valparaiso, but she graduated from Knox Community High School after her father was called to ministry there. McIntire earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Purdue University.

After growing up in small-town Indiana, she wanted to try city life in Atlanta, and spent a dozen years in Georgia, teaching and earning a master’s degree from Kennesaw State University. However, she returned to Indiana to work and earn a doctoral degree from Purdue.

She’s taught every grade between K-8 except first and sixth. Her other roles have included instructional coach, elementary and junior-senior high principal, and district-level consulting work before most recently serving as assistant superintendent at Michigantown’s Clinton Central School Corp. for two years.

In other business

Approvals

• One-year memorandum of understanding with Cambridge City to provide school resource officer coverage
• Carrie Mastriano, LMHS assistant principal, will attend Indiana New Administrators Leadership Institute one day a month
• Advertise public hearing related to WWS’ budget, capital and bus replacement plans
• Raising adult breakfast to $3.05 and lunch to $5.35 to comply with Indiana Department of Education requirements
• Fundraisers: WWES chocolate bar sale, PTO Perfect Pastry
• Donations: Dot Foods, $5,000 in food products for WWS food bank; Meijer, $250, middle school Future Focused Fridays program; Frank and Laurie Brattain, $100, student sports passes

Personnel

• Hires: Amy Oliger, LMHS guidance counselor; Luke Milner, band director/teacher; Sarah Tilton, LMHS math teacher; Monica Van Hoy, elementary STEM teacher; Jamie Davis, elementary treasurer/secretary; Nancy Zerbe, elementary secretary; Tyler Hunt, cafeteria; Andi Melerowicz, adjunct LMHS Spanish teacher. Coaches: Kristen Brown, varsity softball; Kim Riggs, assistant varsity softball; Josh Fern, assistant varsity baseball; William Doggett, bowling; Jaylan Melerowicz, esports;

Heather Brower, Alicia Criswell and Bryanna Judy, elementary cheer volunteers

• Departures: Ryan Schunk, band director; Elliatt Weber, LMHS math teacher; Melody Mills, LMHS guidance counselor; Krista Weireter, elementary special education teacher; Shelly Brumfiel, elementary treasurer/secretary; Phoenix Davis, cafeteria
• East Central Indiana Special Services: Liza Bates, director contract extended to 2028; $7,500 stipend for secretary Mindy Gaebel, for year (Already approved by ECISS board).