MONTGOMERY —
The Barr-Reeve School Board has named Dena Lengacher as the new elementary school principal.
Lengacher, a fourth-grade teacher at the school, will replace the retiring Linda Parsons. During a special board meeting Tuesday night, Lengacher was officially named the incoming principal.
"We look forward to working with her for a lot of years," Board member Scott Lottes said.
"We are looking for a lot of good things," Board member Joe Cummings added.
Superintendent Travis Madison said Lengacher was selected out of 40 candidates that originally applied for the job.
Out of those, Madison whittled the pool down to four candidates who were then interviewed by the board.
In the end, Lengacher stood out, Madison said.
"She was a combination of everything," Madison said. "Obviously she was well qualified. She's had a great successful career teaching. Obviously we've been able to see her in action. We just feel the comfortability she has to the district is something that was important to us as well.
"There may have been candidates that have this strength and that strength but she had them all." Lengacher said after the meeting she was "very excited." "To have a wider influence over the kids and the staff because we have great staff members," Lengacher said.
Lengacher has been teaching at the school for 22 years. During that time, she has served on the school's RISE (teacher evaluation) Committee, the School Improvement Data Team and helped implement the Student Success Process at the school.
A Loogootee High School graduate, she holds degrees from the University of Southern Indiana, Indiana State University and Oakland City University.
She finished her principal internship in 2007 with Parsons.
Married to Tim Lengacher, they have two children. Megan, who is a freshman at the University of Southern Indiana and David, who is currently a fourth-grader at Barr-Reeve.
Lengacher told her son that she would be his next principal after school on Tuesday. She said he was excited.
"When he found out that he will have to go to the principal¹s office every day after school, he thought that was pretty cool," Lengacher said.
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy
Raw: 80-Year-Old Climbs Mount Everest
Wash. State Man Arrested Following Ricin Scare
Chain-Reaction School Bus Crash Injures About 50
Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death
Texas Students Coach Teachers on Fitness
New Forecasting Tool Eyed for Hurricane Season
Meet MJ, the Bike Riding Tabby Cat
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
