The Vincennes Community School Corporation (VCSC) Board of School Trustees held its regular meeting on March 9, 2026.
The meeting included staff recognitions, school highlights, personnel updates, grant approvals, and several facility and project approvals.
Mickey and Ruth Kimberly "Good Idea Award"
The board also recognized the recipients of the Mickey and Ruth Kimberly “Good IDEA” Award. The award is presented during Disability Awareness Month and honors individuals who demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting students with disabilities.
This year’s Good IDEA Award was presented to two co-recipients: B.J. Helderman and Amanda Johnston.
Helderman was recognized for the meaningful relationships she builds with students with special needs and their families. Her support and encouragement often extend beyond the school day and even beyond graduation, leaving a lasting impact on the students she serves.
Johnston was honored for her work teaching students with disabilities and for creating a classroom where every student feels valued and supported. She also involves peer tutors from Riley Elementary to assist in her classroom, helping build empathy, leadership, and confidence among students throughout the school community.
The award is named in memory of Mickey Kimberly, a former Vincennes Community Schools student who had a rare disorder called mucopolysaccharidosis II. Mickey’s mother, Ruth Kimberly, created the award as a way to thank the school corporation and to recognize those who advocate for students with disabilities. Ruth was a longtime advocate for individuals with disabilities in the community and helped establish Attic, Inc., a local advocacy center in Vincennes.
VCSC Highlight of the Month: CMS National Junior Honor Society
Clark Middle School was recognized as the Vincennes Community School Corporation Highlight of the Month for its National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) program.
Clark Middle School began offering NJHS in 2022 as an extracurricular academic organization for students in grades 7 and 8. Since the program began, approximately 246 students have been inducted.
The National Junior Honor Society recognizes students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. To be eligible, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.33 and complete community service hours throughout the school year. First-year members complete four service hours during the year, while returning members complete eight hours annually.
The program is sponsored by Mrs. Abby Roughley and provides students with opportunities to develop leadership skills while giving back to their school and community. This year’s student officers are Mia Fleetwood, president; Makynze Ashley, vice president; and Madison Lintzenich, secretary.
VCSC Employees of the Month
Jessica Lindsey of Franklin Elementary School was recognized for her dedication as a special education teacher in the school’s resource room. Lindsey has served in the role for the past four years and is also a Franklin parent. Each morning, she helps greet students as a supervisor, starting the day with a positive and welcoming attitude. She is also actively involved in supporting staff through her work on school committees, including the Social Committee. Colleagues noted her dependable, compassionate nature and her commitment to both students and staff.
Sarah Lowe of Tecumseh-Harrison Elementary School was also recognized for her 20 years of service as an instructional assistant. Throughout her time at Tecumseh-Harrison, Lowe has supported students in multiple grade levels and currently works primarily with kindergarten students. She was commended for her flexibility, dedication, and willingness to step in wherever she is needed to support the school and its students.
Consent Agenda
The board approved the consent agenda, which included routine operational items such as meeting minutes, claims, financial and investment statements, personnel updates, facility use requests, and fundraisers.
During the meeting, The board recognized several longtime employees who will retire from the Vincennes Community School Corporation at the end of the school year.
Janis Hert will retire after 33 years at Vincennes Lincoln High School. Throughout her career, she has been a key member of the mathematics department and spent the past 14 years teaching college-level math through the Early College program. Hert also made a lasting impact outside the classroom as the girls varsity basketball coach and through her involvement with Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
David Hinkel will retire after more than 30 years as a Career and Technical Education teacher at Lincoln High School. During his career, he taught a variety of hands-on courses including print shop, wood shop, drafting, and other technical classes that helped students develop practical skills and explore career pathways.
Rene LaMontagna will retire after 10 years teaching science at Lincoln High School. In addition to her work in the classroom, she contributed to the school community through various projects and photography that helped capture and celebrate school traditions.
Kheila Brink will retire after 32 years as an art teacher with the Vincennes Community School Corporation. She began teaching with the district in the 1993–1994 school year and most recently served as the art teacher for both Vigo Elementary and Tecumseh-Harrison Elementary.
Tina Hidde will retire from her role as transportation and Washington Learning Academy secretary/administrative assistant. She joined Washington Learning Academy when the school opened in 2020 and played an important role in helping establish the school while continuing her long-standing commitment to supporting youth in the community.
Elizabeth “Liz” Clinkenbeard will also retire after many years of service with the corporation. She began working for VCSC in 1994 as an aide and later as a secretary at Vigo Elementary. After working in the community for several years, she returned to VCSC in 2016 as secretary at Lincoln High School and most recently served again as secretary at Vigo Elementary.
Discussion Items
The board reviewed several discussion items during the meeting, including updates on facility projects and proposed policy revisions.
Architects David Henson and Andy Myszak provided a public update on Phase One of the corporation’s multi-phase bond project. Several projects included in the first phase have already been completed or are currently underway. The update also included plans for a community open house to showcase the new Culinary Arts classroom at Vincennes Lincoln High School. The open house is scheduled for April 9 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
The board also received a first reading of proposed policy, guideline, and form revisions recommended through Neola. These updates are designed to keep school policies aligned with recent changes in federal and state law. The proposed revisions cover a variety of areas, including curriculum requirements, student immunizations, bullying procedures, student attendance, staff evaluations, safety policies, and accessibility of digital content.
No action was taken on the policy revisions during the meeting, as they were presented for review as part of the first reading process.
Decision Items
The board approved several items during the decision portion of the meeting, including grants, facility projects, and program updates.
The board approved a resolution confirming the eighth amendment to the lease between the Vincennes School Building Corporation and the Vincennes Community School Corporation. The amendment will allow the Building Corporation to issue 2026 bonds to reimburse previously incurred project costs and support upcoming renovations and upgrades to secondary school facilities.
Several grants were also approved. The board approved the Formative Interim Assessment Grant totaling $11,530.02, which will fund mClass DIBELS for students in kindergarten through second grade. The assessment is used as a dyslexia screening tool. The board also approved the High Ability Grant of $38,541 to support High Ability programming, teacher training, required student testing, and academic programs such as Math Pentathlon, Spell Bowl, Math Bowl, Challenge Research, Academic Team, Spark Club, and Junior Great Books.
In addition, the board approved the K–12 Robotics Competition Grant totaling $5,951.20. Lincoln High School will receive $3,157.92 and Clark Middle School will receive $2,793.28 to support robotics competition fees, materials, and coaching stipends.
The board also approved revisions to the Little Alice Learning Center Family Handbook. The updates align the handbook with national accreditation standards established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Board members approved an E-Rate technology project to upgrade network equipment at Tecumseh-Harrison Elementary School. The project will update switches, cabling, and battery backups while increasing internet speeds across the building. The total project cost is $51,134, with 85 percent of the cost covered through E-Rate funding.
The board also approved awarding bids for several facility projects. Wolfe Construction was awarded the bid for Phase Two of the Culinary Arts renovation at Vincennes Lincoln High School. The project will convert the former lower locker commons area into a community-style dining and event space where culinary arts students can serve meals during special events.
In addition, Wabash Utilities was awarded the bid for the construction of a new playground at Franklin Elementary School. The playground will be located behind the school gymnasium and will include several additional features such as a shaded area, a wheelchair-accessible platform, and safety mats.
The next VCSC Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 13, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the Administration Building.