Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
BOURBON – Christine Cook was thanked for her service to Triton School Corporation at her last school board meeting as the elementary school principal Monday.
The board approved Cook’s retirement, effective at the end of 2025-26 school year, during their April meeting.
Superintendent Jeremy Riffle thanked Cook for her 26-1/2 years of service to Triton “and our community. She has worked tirelessly to make Triton a great place for kids.”
Cook also has worked in Plymouth and Warsaw schools.
Riffle said Cook has agreed to remain a mentor to Melissa LaShure, who was approved to be the new elementary school principal Monday. LaShure was previously the director of curriculum and assessment at Triton.
Riffle said Cook has a wealth of knowledge with the preschool, which is going through some funding changes at the state level. He said it will be helpful to have someone with that knowledge.
Cook said she wanted to say thank you to the school corporation and the school board “for allowing me to be a part of this dedicated team, committed to serving students in our community. I think that’s the one thing I will really miss the most is just being part of an organization, people working together for the same cause,” bringing differences and different perspectives to the cause and “find ways to remove obstacles to learning and help produce good citizens and educated individuals. So I will miss that. I have been fortunate to work with many exceptional people over the years that have helped me personally grow and learn and finding things.”
She wished LaShure well in taking over.
In other business, the board:
• Learned about 65 students graduated from the junior-senior high school.
• Heard student registration for both the elementary and junior-senior high schools are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 23 and noon to 6 p.m. July 24.
• Learned Morris & Sons Roofing is nearly 50% complete on the elementary school roof. The project is scheduled to be complete by early July.
• Heard there are over 70 pre-kindergarten through third grade students in summer school. There are about 60 students at the junior-senior high school taking at least one class during summer school.
• Approved the elementary student handbook.
• Approved the hiring of Rachel Watkins as the weight room supervisor, Ashley Doll as the softball supervisor and Lisa Bernish as the high school track supervisor, Debra Green as a part-time elementary School custodian, Amy Chizum as a full-time high school custodian, Kerry Kennedy as a substitute teacher; Tori Kistler, Gage Riffle and Steve Watkins for summer custodial/maintenance staff; Casi Painton as a summer school instructional assistant, Casi Painton as a sixth-grade teacher, Evan Watkins as a junior-senior high school math teacher and Mason McIntryre as the elementary administrative assistant.
They also approved the resignation of Kim Stetzel as the cheer coach.
