GCSC board interviews set July 8

Assistant Editor

The Greencastle School Board wants to be as transparent as possible when it comes to appointing a new school board member early next month.

After the recent reappointment of one of its members was marred by questions of Open Door Law violations on the part of the Greencastle Township Trustee and Advisory Board, the school board is leaving nothing to the imagination in appointing a replacement for board member Lisa McCoy.

The first step is continuing to take applications through Monday, July 1.

The applications will then be collected and distributed to all school board members, as well as two or three members of the city council, who will be part of the selection process.

The selection will take place following board interviews in a meeting set for 6 p.m. on Monday, July 8 at GCSC Central Office.

The school board could technically narrow the field to three candidates in executive session before publicly interviewing three candidates, but has chosen not to do so.

“We’re doing every bit of this in public,” White told the Banner Graphic recently. “If we get 15 applicants, we’ll do 15 interviews.”

At this point, that won’t be necessary. During Monday’s regular school board meeting, White shared with the public that three eligible candidates have applied. There was a fourth applicant from outside city limits whose application will not be considered.

Because McCoy was originally appointed by the Greencastle City Council, the new board member must be a resident of the city. He or she must also be at least 21 years old.

On the evening of the interviews — how ever many there may be — board members plan to keep things rolling. They will then seek the input of two or three city council members who have been asked to take part in the selection process.

The four board members will then conduct their own discussion with the idea of selecting their fifth member that evening.

“Before we leave that night, let’s choose a school board member,” White said.

With McCoy’s resignation effective June 30, just one year after she took office, the appointed member will serve the remaining three years of her term through June 30, 2022.

The board is hoping to leave no questions lingering in the selection process. White asked Monday that anyone who has applied would email him at mwhite@greencastle.k12.in.us, just to make sure no one is skipped over by the process.

Additionally, the board hopes to cast as wide a net as possible.

“We have three now,” White said. “We would like to see several more.”

Interested applicants should mail their letters of interest and resumés to Greencastle Schools Central Office, C/O President Mike White, 1002 Mill Pond Lane, Greencastle, IN 46135.

As an appointed body, the Greencastle School Board is normally selected by three sets of publicly-elected officials. The Greencastle City Council appoints two (currently filled by Brian Cox and McCoy). The Greencastle Township Trustee and Advisory Board appoint two more (currently White and Bill Tobin). The final position is appointed by the Madison Township Trustee and Advisory Board (currently Dale Pierce).

However, in the case of a midterm resignation, it falls to the school board itself to choose a replacement. McCoy’s departure will leave the city without a board member appointed by the council itself, making it important to board members that the city council be involved in this process.

Council appointee Denise Sigworth resigned in the spring of 2018, with Cox appointed as her replacement. His term expires on June 30, 2020.

White was recently reappointed by Greencastle Township and will serve through June 30, 2023.

Tobin’s Greencastle Township appointment will expire on June 30, 2020, while Pierce’s Madison Township term runs through June 30, 2021.

In addition to announcing the July 8 special meeting, on Monday the board also announced that the regular July meeting has been moved to Monday, July 29 as opposed to the normal third Monday meeting date.