CHARLOTTESVILLE — The Eastern Hancock School Board has chosen a new superintendent, and it didn’t go far to find him.
After interviewing several candidates for the position, the school board unanimously approved George Philhower as its choice at its meeting on Monday, May 10. Philhower, who lives with his family in Greenfield, is the current superintendent of Western Wayne schools, a small district in Wayne County. Its flagship school is Lincoln High School/Middle School in Cambridge City.
Philhower, 39, has been Western Wayne’s superintendent for about two years and has worked at the corporation for 13 years. Previously, he served in other administrative capacities in the district, and he began his career as a special-education teacher. He taught at the former Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home in Knightstown, which served the children of military members, and at public schools in Centerville, he said.
Philhower holds educational specialist and Ph.D. degrees from Indiana State University.
A Hancock County resident, Philhower said Eastern Hancock is a good fit because it is closer to home. It’s also similar to the small, rural character of Western Wayne. He currently lives in Greenfield with his wife, Taylor, and two children, Ryleigh and Elijah.
“It made sense to relocate closer to home,” he said. “I want to be a good district leader but also a good husband and a good father.”
Jim Jackson, the EH board president who led the search for a new superintendent, said the board interviewed a number of “outstanding candidates” for the superintendent’s position. Philhower stood out, however, because of the creativity and problem-solving ability he displayed in his experience as an administrator.
At Western Wayne schools, Philhower helped create a number of advanced education programs, including early access to college classes and a program that allowed students to become certified as medical assistants.
Through a partnership with the YMCA and the Sugar Creek Packing Co. in Cambridge City, Philhower led Western Wayne in creating an on-campus day care that gave employees of both the packing company and the school corporation access to child care.
Recently, Philhower said, he’s been focused on learning more about trauma-informed education, an educational philosophy that places emphasis on the obstacles poverty, family trauma, racism and other factors can create for student learning.
It was also a plus, Jackson said, that Philhower had been a leader at Western Wayne schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, making him well-positioned to address the challenges Eastern Hancock will continue to face as the process of recovering from the pandemic continues.
“We’re really excited about having him be our new superintendent,” Jackson said.
The board previously approved a three-year contract for the new superintendent with the starting salary of $117,000.
Kyle Barrentine, the current superintendent at Nettle Creek School Corporation in Wayne County, got to know Philhower when they were in the same Ph.D. cohort at Indiana State. Barrentine also is an alumnus of Eastern Hancock.
“Being an alum and knowing that a guy of Dr. Philhower’s caliber is going to be leading the school district, it makes me feel good to know that district is going to be in good hands,” Barrentine said.
With neighboring school corporations, the two corporations work closely together. Barrentine described Philhower as “a man of integrity and a great educator.”
Jessica Neill, the elementary school principal at Western Wayne, also graduated from Eastern Hancock and later worked there as an instructional assistant. She said Philhower had a major impact on Western Wayne, introducing a strategic plan for the corporation and a consistent plan for developing soft skills at every grade level.
“I’m really excited for my colleagues at Eastern Hancock to be able to have the same experience working for him,” Neill said.
Philhower will begin working in June, overlapping with the corporation’s retiring superintendent, Dave Pfaff, in order to learn more about the position from him.
“Mr. Pfaff has been wonderful throughout this whole process,” Philhower said. “I’ve got big shoes to fill, I know.”
Pfaff, who came out of a short retirement in 2019 after a long career as principal of Eastern Hancock High School and Middle School to take over as superintendent, thanked the school board for undertaking a careful selection process in looking for his replacement.
“I have been so, so impressed with the board’s effort this spring,” he said. “We are in very good hands with this school board.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About George Philhower” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Age: 39
Family: Wife, Taylor; and two children, Ryleigh and Elijah
Experience: Current superintendent at Western Wayne schools; previously served in administration there and also taught in Centerville and at the former Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home in Knightstown.
Education: Educational specialist and Ph.D. degrees from Indiana State University.
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