NEW PALESTINE — The administrative staff at New Palestine High School is going to have a different look next fall with the departure of two leaders.
Officials are also looking for a new chemistry teacher. That’s because the current one has been promoted to replace assistant principal Adam Barton, who’s leaving at the end of the school year to become the new principal at Eastern Hancock High School and Middle School.
Earlier this month, the Southern Hancock School Board approved the selection of Nicholas Mitchaner, NPHS chemistry teacher, as the new assistant principal.
Mitchaner, 33, previously taught in Pike Township and Wayne Township in Marion County before coming to Southern Hancock three years ago.
Leaving the classroom for the front office wasn’t an easy decision, Mitchaner said. But he decided it was the right time to make a move, and the front office opening was the best position to help him reach some of his professional goals, he said.
“I wanted to step up into administration because I wanted to serve the community of New Palestine in a bigger way,” Mitchaner said.
Mitchaner said the best part of being an educator is connecting with students, watching them learn and grow into young adults.
Mitchaner is excited to continue to do those things, but as an assistant principal he’ll have a chance to connect with many more students and not just those in his class.
“I’m very excited for the opportunity and humbled by the trust that is put in me to fill this position,” he said.
Principal Keith Fessler said Mitchaner was a good fit for assistant principal because in his relatively short time at NPHS, he’s become one of the most respected teachers in the building.
“He’s very good at building relationships with students and has filled a number of leadership roles on our staff,” Fessler said. “We’re very excited to have him in his new role.”
It’s already been a school year full of changes for Fessler and his front office staff. He is also losing his dean of students, Julie Young, after graduation. Young will leave at the end of May for a principal’s job in another district.
The change means Fessler is looking to hire another new administrator as soon as possible.
