PENDLETON — Dr. Mark Hall and Andrew Kruer will be working together again.
Formerly the principal and assistant principal at Pendleton Heights High School, respectively, the pair will be superintendent and assistant superintendent for South Madison Community School Corp. beginning with the 2020-21 school year; the academic year resets July 1.
Hall was approved to replace retiring superintendent Joe Buck at the South Madison school board meeting in May.
Hall had most recently been the corporation’s assistant superintendent for secondary curriculum, instruction, and college and career readiness. His approval to be the next superintendent left an opening for the assistant superintendent spot.
Kruer was recommended and approved at a special meeting of the school board on Thursday, June 18.
“(Kruer) has been in our district for 14 years and has held several different positions at different levels. That’s a strength of his,” Hall said.
“He’s got a lot of experience in a lot of different areas and has been successful every stop along the way.”
Among the stops was a period from 2010-14, during which he was an assistant principal at Pendleton Heights High School while Hall was the school’s principal.
“I’m familiar with his strengths and what he brings to the table,” Hall said. “That was a lot like a four-year interview (at PHHS). He did a lot of good things at the high school when he worked there with me.”
Most recently, Kruer had been principal at East Elementary School for six years. Prior to his time at the high school, from 2006-2010, Kruer was an assistant principal at East, his first job in the system.
“Fourteen years at South Madison, great people are a hallmark of the school district,” Kruer said. “My past six years at East Elementary, I could not have asked for a better staff. We had challenging moments and challenging days, and we were all committed to the kids.”
Kruer also taught in Lawrence Township for four years and started in the education field at East Central Schools in Sunman, Indiana. He received his bachelor’s degree at Indiana University Bloomington and his master’s degree at Butler University.
He is originally from Campbellsburg, located in the southern part of the state, and graduated from West Washington High School.
“It’s a great opportunity to continue to work with great people and do great work in a different type of capacity,” Kruer said. “I’m really excited to work with Dr. Hall and Dr. (Laura) Miller (assistant superintendent for Elementary Curriculum and Instruction) and the team there.”
For Kruer it’ll be a new job at a very new time in education. He’ll begin jumping right in in helping lead the corporation back to in-person school during a pandemic.
“We’re all in uncharted waters and we’re all sailing in there together,” he said.
With the 2020-21 school year all but here, Hall added that it’s crucial to get the entire education team in place. One of the next job’s on the list is to get a replacement for Kruer at East.
The position was posted last Friday, Hall said. Applications are being accepted through this week. His goal is to have someone recommended for next month’s board meeting, slated for July 9.
