The Indianapolis Star

Decatur Township picks Collins to lead schools

New superinten­dent will take over post on July 1

- Caroline Beck

Decatur Township has chosen Scott Collins, currently Fayette County School Corporatio­n superinten­dent, as its new leader.

The Decatur Township school board earlier this week unanimousl­y approved Collins, who will begin his new role on July 1.

Previous Decatur Township superinten­dent Matt Prusieck retired from the district at the end of 2023, and assistant superinten­dent Stephanie Hofer has been filling the role in the interim.

Collins said in a news release that he looks forward to helping prepare Decatur students to be college and career-ready.

“Now, more than ever in education, we must be visionary and creative in finding ways to support and teach our students while best utilizing the resources available through funding, community partnershi­ps, and grant opportunit­ies,” Collins said. “I want to ensure that we are able, as a team in Decatur, to provide as many resources as possible in our classrooms, fine arts, and athletic programs. I have devoted my career to the students and families that I serve, and I cannot wait to start in Decatur Township!”

Collins has been working in the education world for more than 28 years. Before his time at Fayette County, he served for more than eight years as a principal in the Avon Community School Corporatio­n, a principal in Spencer

County, and a teacher in Wayne County and Warren Township.

Collins holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, master’s degrees from Ball State University, and an Ed.S. from Indiana State University. He is currently completing his dissertati­on for his doctoral degree.

Decatur School Board president Larry Taylor said the search committee considered community and staff input, survey results, and focused on candidates who would serve to advance the school district.

“Scott Collins emerged as our top candidate, bringing considerab­le experience as a superinten­dent and in additional administra­tive roles,” Taylor said in a news release. “We as the School Board confidentl­y look forward to great future success for the MSD of Decatur Township with his leadership.”

Located in the southweste­rn part of Marion County, Decatur Township Schools is one of the smaller school districts out of the 11 traditiona­l public school districts in the county, serving around 6,600 students.

Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@ gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy .

Caroline’s reporting is made possible by Report for America and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation .

Report for America is a program of The GroundTrut­h Project, a nonpartisa­n, nonprofit organizati­on dedicated to strengthen­ing local newsrooms. Report for America provides funding for up to half of the reporter’s salary during their time with us, and IndyStar is fundraisin­g the remainder. To learn more about how you can support IndyStar’s partnershi­p with Report for America and to make a donation, visit indystar.com/RFA .

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