December 28, 2011
12/29/11 The Union-North School Corporation made it official at a meeting on Wednesday night that Mitchell Mawhorter will begin his duties as the superintendent on January 2. Mawhorter comes from his current job as principal at Jimtown Junior High School.
Board President Mark Dickson had made the announcement on December 22 that Mawhorter had been chosen by the board to fill the top spot and would be voted on at the board meeting on December 28. The position has been filled by Interim Superintendent Julie Lauck since October of this year after being hired in September.
The board began the search for a new superintendent following the resignation of former Superintendent Dr. Terry Barker who accepted a position with School City of Mishawaka.
When Mawhorter learned that he had been named , he said, “I am very excited to become the next Superintendent at Union North. It is a school much like the corporation I attended while growing up in Albion, Central Noble, in that it is small in student population and rural.” Sharing his experiences in smaller communities, he said, “ I love that the schools are the center of the center of the whole community much like I have experienced at Jimtown. I want LaVille (LaVille Elementary and LaVille Jr.-Sr. High School) to continually get better at everything we do without losing that feeling of closeness within the community.” “The first thing that I want to do as Superintendent is build relationships with people so that from there ,we can have honest discussions about how to make our students well-rounded graduates.” He said.
After the board meeting, board member Rob Swathwood said, “I think he (Mawhorter) will do us a fine job. He’s young and enthusiastic.” He added, “The schools need some continuity.” Fellow board member Mike Berger said he was impressed with Mawhorter during the interview process. He said, “We need to bring some new ideas into the corporation.” Dickson said Mawhorter has worked at all levels of education. Dickson said, “It will be very beneficial in running the corporation.” “He has a vision for moving forward .” Dickson said.
The school corporation had adopted a long-range plan that Dickson feels Mawhorter can implement. The long range plan includes the areas of curriculum, instruction and achievement, personal development and facilities. The objectives were formulated in June of 2011 by a twenty-one members committee of patrons of the Union-North Corporation. The plan will serve as a guide through the 2013-2014 school year.
Mitchell (Mitch) Mawhorter has served as the Principal of Jimtown Jr. High School since 2009. Prior to moving to the Jr. High level, he was the Principal of Jimtown North Elementary for two years, Assistant Principal of Jimtown High School for two years, Assistant Principal of Jimtown Intermediate for two years, and Assistant Principal /math teacher at Jimtown Jr. High School for one year. From 1989-2011, he taught both language arts and math and the junior high level.
Mawhorter has been a junior high basketball coach for eleven years and football coach for three years.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with Coaching Endorsement from Purdue University (1989), a master’s degree in Elementary Education and Elementary and Secondary Administration and Supervision from Indiana University (2002). He received his educational specialist degree in Education from Indiana State University in 2008.
Carol Anders