South Putnam Schools off to a strong start

While every day is a good one to be a South Putnam Eagle for Superintendent Dr. Corey Smith, his smile grows a little larger when he discusses the success his students have had in and out of the classroom this fall.

The high school football team is ranked second in Class 2A and off to a 6-0 start.

The high school's boy's and girl's cross country teams recently captured the Putnam County Cross-Country championships. 

"It has been a very good fall for South Putnam. A lot of hard work has gone into the victories and successes. Their recognition is a culmination of the efforts they have put in over the years. It is great to see. We have great coaches, great people and great families supporting them," Smith told The Putnam County Post. 

And,. the success isn't confined to athletics, as Smith said his district enjoyed one of the smoothest starts to the school year in recent history. 

"I couldn't of asked for a better start. Several of my administrators said this has been the smoothest start in their history as an administrator, and that goes with all the preparation during the summer and they work they do in the spring to get ready for a really good start to the fall. Families have been really supportive. The administrative teams have come together and gelled, and our teaching teams are amazing," Smith said. 

The new school year saw the addition of two new academies at South Putnam, as district officials rolled out the South Putnam Virtual Academy, a 100 percent online program, and the South Putnam Hybrid Academy, "Eagle Flex," where students are on campus most days following the regular middle school/high school daily schedule while online curriculum builds flexibility into their day. The two programs are tuition free, open to any Indiana student and lead to the same South Putnam diploma students have earned previously. 

Smith said he and his district are aware of the fact that every family has a different situation, and they want to make it easier for Eagles to get a quality education. 

"Every family's situation is different, and we built these programs so no student has to choose between flexibility and belonging. You can learn in the way that works for you and still be an Eagle, walk at graduation with your class and be part of this community," Smith said. 

Discussions about changing the educational model were held for some time, according to Smith. 

"The idea really grew out of listening to our families and students, but also looking at educational trends and our data. We know that one size doesn't fit all, and we want South Putnam to be an option for as many students as possible - whether that's a traditional setting, fully online, or something in between. We are genuinely excited to be able to offer this level of flexibility while still delivering the same South Putnam experience and diploma," Smith said. 

And, he is fully aware that the new educational models can be used as recruiting tools for families that may not have considered South Putnam before. 

"We absolutely see this as an opportunity to welcome new families into the Eagle family who may not have considered us before," Smith admitted. 

In addition, Smith said the robotics elementary club has a "tremendous amount of students," and the district has implemented dedicated time to meet students where they are for extra intervention to deepen learning. 

Over the last few years, South Putnam has endured some major construction projects, but Smith said the vast majority of the major projects are wrapped up. 

"The major projects are pretty much wrapped up. The fieldhouse project is done, although we had some drainage issues in the front and getting that fixed this week. We have some very exciting things coming. One of those is our Ag Powers Lab is out to bid right now, and that will be a transformational lab for our district. When we moved the weight room into the field house, that left that area became available to reimagine. We decided that will become our Ag Powers Lab. It will feature six welding booths so students can earn certification, and it will include woodworking space, classroom space, small engines, 3D printing, Ag Robotics and Agricultural Drones.We are very excited to have this on board and have this done around winter break," Smith said. 

Smith said the fieldhouse has been a huge addition to his district. 

"As we traveled around and talked with other districts, we were told once we turned it on, the courts would be used, and they have been used nonstop. The load it took off and the relief it gave our teams is tremendous. We only had one gym for seven  grade levels at the main campus. It wasn't conducive to coordination, and now we have more floors, which has dramatically changed how we can schedule things. Plus, we have all that floor space available for program expansion," Smith said. 

While the district is off to a strong start, Smith said his district will have to find ways to improve its enrollment in the future. 

"We are doing projections with that Census data, and it looks like we will stay pretty steady. We do have to continue to offer innovative options for students, as students can go anywhere now. We have to stay ahead of the curve and keep our options relevant. I think we did that with our two new academies, but we cannot forget our elementary students and families. We are looking at some innovative options for those students to keep them engaged in their education. We are in discussions about creating some magnet opportunities to draw kids in where they have interest and we know there is interest in this area," Smith said.