Peru schools names next superintendent

Apr. 14—PERU — The next superintendent of Peru Community Schools' career has taken her from Native American reservations in Arizona to Virginia and now Miami County, Indiana.

Jaime Cole was named superintendent Thursday at a special meeting of the Peru School Board. The appointment of Cole ends a monthslong search for superintendent.

She takes over for Sam Watkins, who is retiring at the end of the school year. He's been with the district for two decades and superintendent since 2014.

Cole comes to Peru by way of Northampton County Public Schools in Virginia. Northampton County is in the Eastern Shore of Virginia, the part of the state detached from the mainland.

There, she was most recently superintendent, before resigning after five months. Previously she was associate superintendent for instruction for the school district.

Most of Cole's career was spent in Arizona on Native American reservations. Seventeen of her 21 years out west were at schools in the Navajo Nation.

"They treated me really well," she said. "They were wonderful. It was probably one of the best experiences I've had."

Cole worked as a special education teacher, elementary teacher and assistant principal at Window Rock Unified School District in Apache County, Arizona. She was an instructional coach and district trainer for teacher evaluations at Pinon High School in Navajo County, Arizona.

She has 13 years of school administration experience and seven as a superintendent.

Cole has family in New Albany and was born on a military base in Kansas. She said she was taken by the location of Peru while job searching. The more she found out about the community, the more she liked what she saw.

"It seems like a very nice area and a community I'd like to work in," she said Thursday.

Cole said there was a positive atmosphere when she walked through Peru schools, particularly at Blair Pointe Elementary School.

The school board's vision was another selling point for Cole, who said she had other offers.

"I was really impressed with the school board," she said. "They really want the best for kids."

The feeling was mutual, according to school board president Gregory Quin.

"She wanted to be part of the community," he said. "That was a big draw for us."

The school board considered six candidates.

Cole's contract is for two years with a $129,000 annual salary. The contract can be renewed up to five years with a salary increase of 4% each year, based on performance evaluations.

Quin said Cole brings a new perspective to Peru schools, another attribute many on the board sought.

"She has strengths where we had weaknesses," he said.

The school board surveyed the school community about preferred qualities of a superintendent. The results leaned toward a lead administrator with a focus on students with individualized education plans (IEPs). Quin said Peru schools has a high number of students with IEPs.

Cole taught special education for seven years.

"If the stakeholders are saying we need help in that area and that's her forte, I think that's a pretty good fit," Quin said. "What our polls showed, she brought to the table."

Cole said developing a strategic plan, student achievement, addressing needs of staff, and parent and community engagement is all on her radar once she starts the job later this summer.

"The top priority is getting feedback," she said.

Spencer Durham can be reached at 765-454-8598, by email at spencer.durham@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @Durham_KT.