SMCSC promotes Hall to be next superintendent

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PENDLETON — To fill the spot of its longtime leader, South Madison Community School Corp. stayed within the organization.

At the Thursday, May 21, Board of School Trustees meeting, the board approved the recommendation to promote Dr. Mark Hall, assistant superintendent for secondary curriculum, instruction, and college and career readiness, to take over the duties when Superintendent Joe Buck retires at the end of June.

Hall has been in education since fall 1997 and at the district since 2002.

In his initial South Madison position, Hall was an assistant principal and athletic director at Pendleton Heights Middle School. He held that spot until 2006, when he became an assistant principal at Pendleton Heights High School.

In 2010, he was named high school principal, a role he served in until taking his current position in 2018.

Hall comes from an education family. His father, Steve Hall, was a superintendent for Delaware Community School Corp. and a longtime school principal. His brother, Mike Hall, is principal at Westfield Middle School.

“Education has been a family business for us,” Mark Hall said. “I’ve grown up around it my whole life.”

Mark Hall said it was a goal of his to eventually be a superintendent, and like other positions he’s taken up the South Madison ladder, much has to do with timing.

“As it is in everyday life, so many things are timing,” he said. “I was looking to (be a superintendent), but just didn’t know when it would happen.

“I feel fortunate to be able to stay in the same district. South Madison is a great school district, and I’m humbled and very fortunate to be able to (stay here).”

The timing worked out after Buck announced last month he was going to retire after a 40-year career in education. Buck has been the school’s superintendent since 2011. His retirement is effective July 1.

Along with following the footsteps of the well-respected Buck, Hall will be taking over at an extremely challenging time.

With the world in midst of a pandemic, Hall, nor anyone in education, is 100% certain what lies ahead when the 2020-21 school year begins.

“There’s a challenge ahead of us with not knowing what school will look like in the fall,” Hall said. “We’ll listen to Gov. (Eric Holcomb), the Department of Education and the Department of Health, and in late June, early July put our plan together.”

The current circumstances were another reason the board wanted to promote the assistant superintendent.

“I feel like one of the scariest things to do is to fill the position of superintendent. It weighs (heavily) on school board members,” said Chris Boots, school board president. “With so much uncertainty in education with COVID-19 and not knowing what’s going to happen in the fall, we thought it was very important to keep stability in the school corporation.

“He’s been in the school system for 18 years and 22 years in education. (Superintendent Buck) has done a good job in grooming Dr. Hall for the position.”

Hall graduated from Delta High School and earned bachelor, masters and doctorate degrees at Ball State University.

Hall praised Buck for his work in the corporation and his mentorship.

However, he understands 2020-21 will be like no other.

“It’ll be a challenge. We’re going into unknown territory,” he said. “We have a great team at South Madison. We have a great school board, administration, teachers and parents. We will all work together with the guidance we receive to safely bring our students back to school.”