Plymouth School Board addresses Superintendent Search, urges community to take survey

Following the recent retirement announcement of Superintendent Mitch Mawhorter, the Plymouth School Board is fielding questions about the search process for his replacement and urging the community to provide input through an online survey.

During the audience participation portion of Tuesday’s school board meeting, Plymouth Educational Association (PEA) President Laura Kruyer asked for details regarding the district's hiring plan. Kruyer noted that several teachers have approached her inquiring about the timeline and the methods being used to gather input from staff and community members. She also asked about the potential creation and makeup of a search committee to review candidates.

In response, School Board President Stacey Patrick highlighted an ongoing community survey designed to let the public's voice be heard. Patrick assured Kruyer that the board would consider her questions regarding the search committee and provide that information soon.

Kruyer asked if the board knew the current number of survey responses, suggesting that the corporation should promote the link again if participation has been low.

The survey, which was initially posted on the Plymouth Community School Corporation’s Facebook page on March 15, is being conducted by Dr. Terry McDaniel, a professor at Indiana State University. Dr. McDaniel is part of the University Search Team, a free service provided by Indiana's public universities to assist local school boards in selecting superintendents.

Officials emphasized that participation is quick, easy, and crucial for helping the board determine the qualities needed in the district's next leader. The survey is completely anonymous; no IP addresses are collected, and the electronically tabulated results will be shared directly with the board.

The search comes after Superintendent Mitch Mawhorter announced via the corporation’s Facebook page in early March his intention to retire at the end of the current school year.

Community members are encouraged to share their perspectives and help shape the future of Plymouth schools. The survey can be accessed via the school corporation's Facebook page or directly at: https://indstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_23QrNs4lxrb5WMC.

Anyone with questions regarding the survey can contact Dr. McDaniel at tmcdaniel@indstate.edu.