(La Porte, IN) - It’ll be a homecoming of sorts for a once-La Porte schools superintendent coming back next week to fill the seat she once held, as Peggy Hinckley will become interim superintendent beginning on Monday.
The school board appointed her to replace Mark Francesconi, whose retirement was announced by the school board earlier this week.
Hinckley, 71, of Schererville, said she was surprised when the school corporation reached out to her after all of these years.
She explained that her primary objectives will include keeping the school corporation moving forward until a new permanent superintendent is hired and helping the school board in the search. However, she’s reportedly not sure yet if her role here will be to address anything else that could be significant.
“I haven’t had a chance to get my arms around whatever concerns or issues there are at this point, but those will probably become clear to me within the first week,” she said.
Fran Milo was on the school board for a number of years when Hinckley was superintendent from 1989 to 2001.
Milo said she can’t think of anyone better to serve in that capacity until the position is filled on a permanent basis, describing Hinckley as a strong leader who has a heart for education and standing up for what she believes is best for students.
“I think she brings a wealth of experience, a terrific personality. She deals well with people. She will serve La Porte schools well in this interim time as they find a new superintendent,” Milo said.
Hinckley was superintendent during the major renovation of La Porte High School in the 1990s. She went on to become superintendent at Warren Township schools in the Indianapolis area and later served as interim school superintendent in Indianapolis and crisis manager for the school system in Gary, all the while running a consulting business specializing in solving major problems in schools across the country.
Ironically, Hinckley, whose daughter graduated from La Porte High School in 1997, will work with Ben Tonagel, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education and former classmate of the new interim superintendent's daughter.
“Grandma’s about to enter the stage,” she said.
Hinckley expects the search for a new superintendent to last until sometime during the summer.
Milo is hoping Hinckley will be given a warm reception.
“I feel like it’s a great way to say to Dr. Hinckley, who gave some of her heart and soul to the community of La Porte, welcome home. We’re glad to see you there and we believe that you have many things to contribute in the period of time that you’ll be the interim superintendent,” Milo said.
