Association Announces Superintendent of The Year
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents has named Rocky Killion 2015 Indiana Superintendent of the Year. He has led the West Lafayette Community School Corp. since 2007. October 6, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Dr. Rocky Killion has been named Indiana Superintendent of the Year for 2015 by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents. Killion is superintendent of West Lafayette Community School Corp.
“Dr. Killion has done an exemplary job of leading West Lafayette Community School Corp. through challenging times,” said Dr. J.T. Coopman, executive director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents. “His leadership coalesced community support for additional funding to ensure this diverse and high performing district maintains its graduation rate of nearly 100 percent and prepares the 95 percent who go on to college. Before citizens voted in support of additional tax funding, they raised more than $200,000 to save five teaching positions. That is an almost-unheard-of level of community support.
“On top of that, Dr. Killion has knocked it out of the park by taking the initiative to produce the documentary Rise Above the Mark to illustrate the challenges for public education in the current financial and political environment. Traveling throughout Indiana and the U.S. to spread this message, Dr. Killion has become a tireless champion for public education everywhere.”
As Indiana Superintendent of the Year, Killion will represent Indiana in the American Association of School Administrators National Superintendent of the Year program.
Killion has served the West Lafayette Community School Corp. as superintendent since 2007. Before that he was assistant superintendent serving Lake Central School Corp. from 1999 to 2007. He has been published in numerous education journals and was nominated for the 2014 Leadership Through Communications Award by the American Association of School Administrators.
West Lafayette is home to about 30,000 permanent residents, with more than 54 nationalities living in the city. As part of its college preparatory curriculum the district encourages its students to take college-level courses at Purdue University.
Rise Above the Mark has been shown throughout Indiana and at national conferences of educators and copies are now available for sale. The documentary is generating revenue for the West Lafayette Schools Education Foundation to help assist the school district's academic programs. The film was narrated by award-winning actor Peter Coyote.
Killion earned bachelor's degrees from Central Bible College in Springfield, Mo., and Southwest Missouri State University, a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati and a Ph.D. from Purdue University.