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Wilson appointed to Greencastle School Board
Persistence paid off for Ed Wilson Wednesday night when he was appointed to the Greencastle School Board.
The veteran Greencastle Police Department sergeant was chosen by Greencastle Township Trustee Steve Butts and his advisory board to fill the next four-year term of the position currently occupied by Bill Tobin.
Wilson will formally take office in July, taking his oath of office alongside Brian Cox, who was appointed to a second term by the Greencastle City Council last month.
Besides having kids of his own in the school corporation, Wilson’s job also takes him into the schools at times, so he has a passion for serving the students further.
“I love the local kids and the school system,” Wilson said. “I have children that go to school here. Kids are our future with the town and I just want to be a part of what’s going on.
“I do patrols through the schools so I see and hear what’s going on,” he added. “I have conversations with the administration and I know what they’re facing. I kind of want to be the in-between guy to see if we can get those things fixed.”
While Wilson was the only candidate who applied to the trustee this time around, it seems he could have stood up to some competition for the position.
“He had wonderful recommendations from a number of folks,” Butts said. “We were impressed with him last time. He gave thorough, clear answers.”
The “last time” was last June, when Butts re-appointed Mike White to the board over fellow finalists Wilson and Russell Harvey.
Harvey and Wilson now both find themselves on the board, as Harvey was chosen by the school board itself last July to fill out the remaining three years of former City Council appointee Lisa McCoy. Wilson also interviewed for that position.
Then there was last month, when the City Council had nothing but praise for Wilson following the interviews, with Council President Mark Hammer noting “I don’t think we can make a bad decision,” before the council ultimately chose to reappoint Cox.
The priorities Wilson has stressed previously — school security and mental health needs in schools — are still his priorities as he heads into his time on the board.
“I want to see school resource officers in Greencastle Schools,” Wilson said. “We’re about the last school in the county to have that and I’d like to get that taken care of.
“There are some mental health issues in the schools that I see and I want to do something about that,” he continued. “There are some mental health professionals who are embedded in the schools at North Putnam and South Putnam and I’d like to see that.”
Advisory board members Russ Evans and Marilyn Clearwaters asked questions specifically about school resource officers and mental health specifically. Evans was especially pleased to hear Wilson’s stance on resource officers, as it’s an issue close to his own heart.
“He has a plan and he has an idea and I think he’ll carry through with it. I’m thrilled with that,” Evans said. “My brother was an SRO in South Carolina for 15 years and I know he made a world of difference.”
Also asked about school finances, Wilson admitted he’ll have more of a learning curve, but hopes to bring his experience and expertise to bear while learning as he goes.
“I don’t have the most experience in terms of being on the school board but I think I can bring my little piece of the pie to them,” Wilson said. “My experience with feet on the ground and being a police officer and dealing with the public, I think I can bring that to them.”
Wilson also acknowledged that COVID-19 looms as a huge issue for the board and administrators as August approaches. What will returning to school look like? Is in-in person learning possible? Can families handle more e-learning?
“We have the ever-present COVID issue going on right now,” Wilson said. “There are going to have to be some tough decisions made on that. I’m not looking forward to that, but I hope we can make a decision that’s best for our children and our community.”
Butts also expressed his appreciation for Tobin and his time on the board, particularly considering his background in education as the director of institutional research at DePauw University.
“I hated to lose Mr. Tobin with his educational background, but we came up with a good successor for him,” Evans said. “Bill went through so much with the mold issue at Tzouanakis and the superintendent search. He will be missed. But I think Ed is going to fill in his shoes quite well.”
With Wilson’s appointment, the board is set for the coming year, with Wilson and White representing Greencastle Township, Cox and Harvey representing the City of Greencastle and Dale Pierce representing Madison Township.
Pierce, who has spent a total of 25 years on the board in two separate stints, will complete his current four-year term on June 30, 2021. The terms of Harvey and White will expire in 2022 and 2023, respectively.