VCSC superintendent reflects on year one; plans for future

VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Dr. Chris Himsel, who recently marked his first year as superintendent of Vigo County School Corporation, shared his achievements and future goals to address historic challenges ahead of the new school year.

In his early days as Vigo County School Superintendent (VCSC), Dr. Himsel said he got the lay of the land, then went to work building the foundation he was tasked with.

“We’re focused on how do we move forward,” Dr. Chris Himsel, Superintendent of VCSC said. “How do we make things best for kids and how do we make sure that we get everybody focused on learning,” he added.

Moving forward, he said, includes reversing a steady decline in graduation rates.

“We’ve got to change the trajectory of basically 12 years worth of graduation rates that are declining,” Himsel said. “We are hopeful that the steps we are taking are going to change that trajectory.”

When asked about plans for changing the trajectory and changes made to administration positions, Himsel said, “The bottom line is that we’re going to continue to do the things that help us move forward, we’re going to continue to do those things that help us be as effective as we possibly can and as efficient as we possibly can.”

Himsel also noted the adoption of ‘High Reliability Schools,’ (HRC) to help more students graduate. The program is said to utilize insights from the business world and education research to enhance daily practices across the district.

Regarding HRC, he said, “Our focus for this coming year is on how do we create welcoming environments that are safe and collaborative for not only our kids but also our employees so that we create collaborative learning environments. How do we empower our teachers to have more say in the curriculum development process and in the instructional activity decisions that go on in their classroom?”

He went on to add, “I believe that we’re going to continue to get better. I think that we’re going to continuously develop the talent of our kids, we’re going to continue to nurture their creativity and we’re going to help them become successful adults.”

Himsel has also prioritized updating school buildings by leveraging funds.

“When you combine all of that together, the Elementary Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) money, and those two general obligation bonds, we’ve invested over $30 million dollars in our schools over the last year,” Himsel said. “That’s the most that this school district has invested in its schools since 2004.”

But the investment in facilities doesn’t stop there.

“We’re hopeful that we’re going to put another $10 or $11 million of investment in our buildings this coming year. We’ve done this by keeping the tax rate level for the taxpayers and the community as well,” Himsel said. “I’ve not met anyone who disagrees about the fact that we need to do something with our schools,” he added.

Himsel is addressing the future of the district’s facilities through a comprehensive planning process.

“The amount of work that needs to be done did not accumulate overnight,” Himsel said. “It did not accumulate in one year.”

Following a failed referendum under the previous administration, a facilities study is being conducted to assess the needs of the district’s school buildings . The study will build off previous studies,  taking into consideration post-COVID market numbers as well as the opinions of teachers and the public through public input meetings.

Himsel says they expect to spend the months of August and September gathering input from teachers. October and November will be spent synthesizing the feedback to report to the board. From there, Himsel said the board will have had the opportunity to find out what questions they have for the community so that January and February can be spent having robust conversations with the community.

Those conversations will give the school board a look into what the community would like to see in the schools and what they want the buildings to look like, making this study different than previous studies.

In addition to physical upgrades, the district is enhancing communication by introducing a new app designed to streamline interactions between schools, teachers, and families.

Himsel chatted about the many apps he had to use as a parent himself.

“I have the same thing as a parent. I had three or four different apps and it was hard to keep track of it. What we’re hopeful is that with Parent’s Square, even if you’ve got multiple kids, you’ve got one platform and regardless of how many different teachers your child has, there’s one platform to be used, and I think that will be very beneficial for our parents.”

As Hisel embarks on his second year, the focus remains clear: continuous improvement, enhanced facilities, and a commitment to equipping students for future success.

When asked what kind of feedback he’s received about the changes he’s made thus far, Himsel said, “It’s been overwhelmingly positive. There have been many people who have pulled me aside and said thank you for the things that we’re doing.”

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