Crown Point Community School Corporation will welcome 8 new assistant principals and 12 new instructional or student support specialists in the 2021-2022 school year.

The assistant principal and specialist positions were created to provide necessary support for students, teachers, and parents as the district continues to grow. “Many people understand the need to hire more teachers as our schools grow, which we’ve done over the years,” noted Superintendent Dr. Todd Terrill. “However, additional teachers also require support in the form of administrative and specialist roles. Those roles are critical for our schools to function efficiently and meet the needs of our students.”

The new assistant principal positions and hires include:

• Taft Middle School - Jennifer Grill, 15 years of elementary and ELL education experience
• Wheeler Middle School - Misty Scheuneman, 9 years of teaching experience at CPHS, 9 years of admin experience in Hobart
• Lake Street Elementary - Kelly Wade, 6 years of experience as a teacher and instructional coach
• MacArthur and Timothy Ball Elementaries - Joshua Graegin, 10 years of experience as a Crown Point teacher and 3 years as Crown Point admin
• Solon Robinson and Eisenhower Elementaries - Melanie Pociask, 16 years of teaching experience at Lake Street Elementary
• Jerry Ross and Winfield Elementaries - Kate Reeder, 14 years of teaching and Title I experience
• CPHS - Mike Depta, 26 years education experience, 16 at Crown Point
• Former deans Kyle Hanaway (Taft) and Annie Lorek (CPHS) will each move into assistant principal roles in their current buildings

Jerry Ross Elementary principal Jennifer Linsley says the new assistant principal, whose duties will be split between Jerry Ross and Winfield Elementary, will advocate for students and help improve the school’s support framework. Linsley said she also looks forward to “spending more time in classrooms working with teachers, where I can provide actionable feedback about teaching and learning.”

Instructional and student support positions new to the district include an additional high school counselor; 4 positions in the Department of Exceptional Education, including a diagnostician and department coordinators; and 7 positions in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, including an additional blended learning specialist, 2 ELA specialists, 2 math specialists, and 2 curriculum specialists.