NEW PALESTINE — It’s a good thing Superintendent Lisa Lantrip still has eight more months before she’s set to depart the Community School Corp. of Southern Hancock County because she said, “I’m not finished — there is still work to be done.”
Lantrip was all smiles sitting inside her office at district headquarters this week as she reflected on her years of service with the Southern Hancock school district and her decision to step down at the end of the current school year.
“My dad retired from Franklin Township when he was 68 or 69, and he only had seven good years before he got sick, so he wasn’t able to enjoy that retirement life and I want to be able to do that,” she said.
Earlier this week, Lantrip, 62, informed the board and community she will be retiring at the end of the school year. Still, her desk was full of books, projects and several sticky notes attached to her computer — all things she plans to focus on as she prepares to leave a district after 10 years of steering the ship.
“That’s the hard thing — I’ve always got ideas running around in my mind of things I still would like to do,” she said.
That includes plans to hopefully have some say in the state’s new venture to rethink the high school experience.
“I wish I could be a part of that,” she said. “I don’t know what they have plans for, but I sure would like to be a part of that and I may.”
Lantrip refused to call the work of leading the district over the past several years a job, but instead said she loves coming to “school” each and every day. However, she said it’s time to step back and just enjoy life.
“I’m a crafter,” she said with a laugh before noting she wants to spend time just enjoying her family and some of her favorite hobbies. “I quilt and all that good stuff.”
For the past four decades, everything Lantrip has worked on as a professional has had something to do with education. Either as a teacher in the classroom, a building administrator or as a superintendent, Lantrip said she is an educator.
“I try not to think about letting go because I love what I do,” she said. “What the future holds is not really sure, but I hope I can somehow stay involved in education, but I’m not sure how that will be or how that might look.”
Lantrip had a list of things she wanted to share — projects she’s been proud to have been a part of during her time with the district, including getting the early college program off the ground.
“When the kids picked up their diplomas last year, we had an additional 60 kids with one year of college credits or more,” she said.
Lantrip noted they recently had 30 college graduates earn associate degrees. During her tenure, she also approved opening the shuttered Doe Creek Middle school to have it remodeled and turned into New Palestine Junior High School.
“I don’t know if there has been just one thing I’m particularly proud of because we, our team, there are just a lot of things we’ve been able to do together,” she said.
Lantrip noted her office and administrative team constantly work on projects to get the corporation ready for the future, including purchasing plenty of land for future needs. Lantrip also spearheaded a $40 million renovation project of the district’s flagship school, New Palestine High School, and led the district through a tumultuous time during the COVID pandemic.
“They certainly did not prepare any of us for that in college or in any administrative classes and while it was hard I believe our response was solid because we were able to keep our schools open when others were not,” she said. “You know, I’ve loved Southern Hancock and even the not-so-fun times of COVID.”
Lantrip realized the district is growing but slowly, and her outgoing hope is the corporation will always be the heart of the community.
“What’s really nice is the community is supportive of that,” she said.
Lantrip credits the administrative team she surrounded herself with as the reason for so much success and progress in the district over the past several years.
“One thing I learned from my dad a long time ago was to surround yourself with people who have strengths that are different than yours,” she said. “I think I’ve done that.”
Lantrip started a 10-year run with the SH district in the summer of 2014 when she was hired to replace superintendent Jim Halik.
District officials made the decision on her retirement public during the school board meeting earlier this week, when the board passed the personnel report Monday night. It was noted then Lantrip is planning to retire effective June 30, 2024.
Lantrip started her educational career as a teacher in 1983. She served in the districts of Monroe-Gregg, Spencer-Owen, Cloverdale, and MSD Wayne Township. After starting as a teacher, she worked her way up as a building-level administrator to a district-level administrator.
During an educational career that has spanned some 40 years, Lantrip noted she’s most proud of her time as superintendent in Southern Hancock.
“I’ve worked with amazing students, staff and families,” she said. “I know that I am leaving with a tremendous team that is ready to lead us moving forward.”
Lantrip noted she’s proud of the processes, procedures and systems district officials have created.
“These have built the foundation that has allowed us to become one of the top-performing schools in the state, has us fiscally strong, and we are ready for the future,” Lantrip said.
An executive session for the school board is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 16 to determine the next step in selecting a new superintendent.
