Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SOUTH WHITLEY - The school year has just started, but Whitko Community Schools will need to replace a couple adminstrators.
Two of Whitko's building principals now need replaced.
Thursday, Whitko Community High School Principal Jim Suding announced his resignation. South Whitley Elementary principal Bill Hoppus' resignation was accepted by the Whitko School Board Aug. 16, effective Aug. 4.
Suding will remain as principal until the end of this week. This morning he said he accepted the principal position at Cowan High School near Muncie in Delaware County, where he resides. Serving as the Whitko High School principal for the past year, Suding drove 150 miles roundtrip from his home. His new job is only about 10 miles from his residence.
"It was a tough decision, but it boiled down to the distance," he said. He also knows the superintendent of his new school system and has previously worked for him.
But he will miss Whitko Schools. "From the superintendent on down, everyone's been helpful, professional and good to work with. Excellent teachers," he said.
Suding said his new position came open only two days after school started in Delaware County, which began school last week. The Cowan High School principal left two days after the start of the school year. Suding said he talked to the superintendent there Tuesday, with the school board Wednesday and accepted the position Thursday.
"It's been very quick," he said. It was not something he said he was looking to do but one he needed to take a look at.
Whitko superintendent Jeff Hendrix is serving as SWES principal until a new principal is found.
The high school principal job has been posted.
But how long until the position is filled remains to be seen as the timing is bad with school already started, Suding said. If Suding had left in June or even July, he said, Whitko finding a principal may not have been a problem. In August though, with school started, it won't be so easy.
Whitko School Board is meeting in executive session tonight to discuss the final candidates to fill the vacancy at SWES.
With that meeting tonight, Hendrix said today, "I'm hoping we get one (principal position) filled this week."
He said the high school principal job is being advertised for the next three weeks to get as many good candidates as possible. A committee then will be formed to interview the candidates. Hendrix said he is hoping to have a new high school principal in place in one to 1-1/2 months.
Of Suding, Hendrix said, "He was an excellent principal for us. He was a very good communicator. He was able to motivate his staff." Suding also was very involved in the community and the students already are saying they will miss him.
Even with the tough loss, Hendrix said, the school will carry on.
"School will run like normal. There shouldn't be any changes in how things are run," said Hendrix. If parents have any questions or concerns, he said, they could contact him at the administration office in Pierceton.
