GHS principal among top in state

Greencastle High School Principal Jim Church talks about award.

Jim Church might be the one who's in the running for principal of the year, but he spent most of his time Monday afternoon praising Greencastle High School's teachers.

The Indiana Association of School Principals announced that Church will be the high school principal of the year for District Eight, which includes Putnam, Hendricks and Vigo counties -- as well as six others.

Church attributes his award, in part, to his efforts to keep at-risk students from falling through the cracks.

And for that, he says, his faculty is responsible.

He lauded how quickly and effectively his teachers have adopted his new program to give troubled students extra help and attention.

"The willingness to buy into this program would never have happened at most schools," Church said.

And so far, the progress has been tremendous, he said. Of the 46 high school freshmen identified as "at risk," none failed ninth grade English, he said.

Church, 68, has come full circle in his career in education. His first principal gig was at Greencastle High School from 1982 to 1985. He was the Northview High School Principal for two years before returning to Greencastle in 2006. He was also an administrator at Terre Haute South Vigo High School for several years.

The awards banquet will be Nov. 18 in Indianapolis.