GCSC Supt. Hubble to retire at end of school year

Monday, January 13, 2020
After four years as Greencastle Community Schools superintendent, Jeff Hubble will retire on July 1. The school board formally accepted Hubble’s retirement letter during a special meeting Monday.
Courtesy photo

Greencastle Community Schools is officially looking for a new leader following the announcement that Supt. Jeffrey Hubble will retire at the end of the school year.

In a special board meeting Monday evening, the school board formally accepted Hubble’s retirement letter.

“I have truly enjoyed my seven years in Greencastle and want to continue to serve the community in the future,” Hubble said in a statement to the Banner Graphic. “I am prayerful that the notice given will allow the school board a successful search window for the next, great leader in Greencastle.”

Hubble’s retirement will take effect on July 1, when his current contract expires.

Hubble also announced the retirement to the Greencastle staff in a recent email.

Other than accepting Hubble’s retirement, the only other item of business for the meeting was the board choosing to engage Dr. Michael Adamson of the Indiana School Board Association to conduct the search for the next superintendent.

White said the timing of Monday’s meeting, two weeks before the board’s monthly meeting date, is a formality so that the board can move forward in working with the Adamson and the ISBA, as they cannot enter into a contract until there is actually a vacancy announced.

“In order to actually post for that search process there has to be a vacancy,” White said. “It’s nothing unusual here. This is more of a housekeeping thing that we have to take this step before we can take the next step.”

With a desire to have someone in place well in advance of July, the board hopes the extra two weeks will help in attracting the right candidate for the position.

Prior to the board approving the contract with ISBA, White explained that the board followed the same process last time and ISBA put on a “far more exhaustive search than we could have.”

The board approved the contract 5-0.

“They do a lot of the legwork for us,” White said. “It seemed like it was money very well spent last time, so we’ll do it again this time.”

White explained that the hiring process will take some time.

“It will probably posted and advertised by the end of this week,” White said. “There will be about six weeks of taking applications. They will actually go to the ISBA and they will bring them to us.”

Even with advertising beginning as early as Friday, a final choice is unlikely until mid-May.

“It’s going to be a long spring for us,” White said.

However, the burden of choosing the right person won’t fall to the school board alone. Aside from contracting with ISBA, White hopes to enlist the input of teachers and community members.

He hopes that board members can visit school building so teachers can share their thoughts on what they are looking for. There could even be a public meeting during which staff and community members are encouraged to share the qualities they would like to see in the next superintendent.

While White said that interviews themselves are likely to be conducted in closed executive sessions, the board hopes some staff members can take part in the final round of interviews.

“I, personally, would like to see the second round of interviews be what we did last hire we made, have a good cross section of the staff come in and be part of it,” White said.

Hubble is also willing to be as much a part of the process as he can be.

“This gives the board a good window,” Hubble said of the announcement. “I’m 100 percent interested in Greencastle Community Schools continuing to do great things. I’m committed to working with my replacement before, during and after the transition.”

Hubble even plans to reach out to some people he thinks would be good candidates for the position.

“I’m going to advocate with people I know that this is a good job,” Hubble said.

A former principal at Brownsburg Middle School, Hubble came to GCSC in the summer of 2013 as the assistant superintendent to Dawn Puckett.

When Puckett retired in the summer of 2016, Hubble became the interim superintendent.

Then in March 2017, he was given a 40-month contract as superintendent. With that contract now at an end, Hubble is choosing to move on the next phase of life while staying connected to Greencastle, like some former school administrators who remained involved in the community.

“I won’t be too far away and will continue to be involved with the Greencastle Community, like Dan TeGrotehuis or Bob Harbison.”

Overall, this brings to a close a 32-year career in education for Hubble.

“As a parent and a school board member, thank you, Jeff, for caring for our school system, our teachers and our students for the last year,” board member Brian Cox said.

Greencastle Classroom Teachers Association President Kristien Hamilton also expressed her appreciation.

“Mr. Hubble, I am very thankful for all you’ve done,” Hamilton said. “We’ve worked very well together and you’ve done so much for the GCTA, the students and the corporation.”

For the most part, though, those in attendance Monday were saving their praise for later, as Hubble has nearly six months more to work.

“This is not really the meeting where we’ll be having the cake and punch, but this is making this happen today so we can move forward,” White said.

Following the meeting, the board moved into a work session during which they discussed expectations for the next superintendent.

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  • I am wondering what time was this meeting, Because I am reading this at 6:30 pm thats Monday evening , but this is already in digital print, thats pretty quick.

    -- Posted by sierrasusanne on Mon, Jan 13, 2020, at 6:40 PM
  • The meeting was 5:00 - 5:10 pm with a work session following at 5:15 pm to compose application and interview questions and new superintendent expectations for the upcoming interviews for the next Greencastle Superintendent.

    -- Posted by GCSCoffice on Tue, Jan 14, 2020, at 12:00 AM
  • Was Monday's meeting legal? 24 hour notice ? Was a notice posted on a door on the Greencastle School Corporation HQ for all to see?

    -- Posted by Lookout on Tue, Jan 14, 2020, at 8:25 AM
  • Yes - the meeting was legally posted! Meetings must be posted 48 hours in advance. Meeting was posted last Thursday afternoon.

    -- Posted by Rockypenguin on Tue, Jan 14, 2020, at 9:40 AM
  • Congrats Mr. Hubble! School Board members, please go into the schools and ask principals and teachers what they want in a superintendent and listen to them! Don't ask them and then do the opposite, again!

    -- Posted by Keywest on Tue, Jan 14, 2020, at 2:53 PM
  • Keywest,

    While it's important to ask staff what they want i would suggest that far more important is what PARENTS are looking for.

    -- Posted by hometownboy on Tue, Jan 14, 2020, at 2:56 PM
  • Hometownboy - I agree that asking parents is equally as important as staff. Good thought!

    -- Posted by Keywest on Tue, Jan 14, 2020, at 3:12 PM
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