PENDLETON, Ind. —
The South Madison Community School Corp. school board has narrowed its board member search to four candidates.
Karen Finnigan, Kolby Gustin, Michael Hanna and Bill Hutton have been named as the finalists, and their public interviews will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Administration Office, 203 S. Heritage Way.
President Chris Boots said it was difficult to take a candidate pool of 12 and cut it down.
“It was hard eliminating even one, actually,” he said.
Boots said the new member should understand that the school board’s responsibility is to help create policy for the school system and be held accountable to the taxpayers for its actions.
“(The board wants) somebody who is part of the community, active in the community,” Boots said. “A team player who understands we all wear the same jersey.”
Michael Hanna, a former teacher and administrator, has worked with a wide variety of students.
During Monday night’s introductory meeting, Hanna said he had worked in seven different districts with rural, inner city, large and small schools.
He said he’s also worked with at-risk students, so he understands the different needs.
“I saw many things that worked, I saw many things that didn’t work,” he said. “I always enjoyed fixing things that didn’t work or needed attention.”
Karen Finnigan, health educator at the Madison County Health Department, said she has worked with every school and gotten to know parents, students and administrators.
She said she is aware of the wide variety of students and that she’d make the best possible choices based on their needs.
Kolby Gustin was the youngest of the candidates: a 2005 graduate of Pendleton Heights High School.
Gustin said he felt he was more in sync with what students need and are going through.
An accountant, Gustin said he could help with the financial aspect of board responsibilities.
With current legislation like No Child Left Behind, Bill Hutton, a former educator and administrator, said it is getting harder to develop bonds between teachers and students.
But it’s that connection and the ability to make learning fun that really helps students, he said.
He said students should be able to apply their lessons to the real world, not just contain knowledge and not use it.
The new board member will be appointed Feb. 16 and replace Mike Gaskill, who has filled a vacancy on the Madison County Council.
Contact Dani Palmer: 640-4847, dani.palmer@heraldbulletin.com
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Related Photos
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Mike Hanna is one of 12 candidates vying for an open position on the South Madison Community School Corp. board. The candidates spoke to members of the school board and community residents at a special meeting Monday evening at the Administrative Services Center in Pendleton. David Humphrey
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South Madison narrows board candidate pool to four
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