An assistant principal at Warsaw Community High School has been tapped to become the Madison Elementary School principal.
Ben Barkey accepted the offer to take over for the retiring Tom Kline.
Barkey was selected after the school corporation reviewed about 30 applications and had four rounds of interviews.
The school board is expected to approve Barkey at a special meeting Wednesday.
“Ben is a huge asset. He knows our system, and his experience at Washington really moved our school corporation forward,” said WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert.
Barkey was born in Warsaw and graduated from WCHS. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology with a teaching endorsement from Manchester University. He also holds a master’s degree in supervision, instruction and administration from Ball State University.
Barkey began his career at WCS as a biology and math teacher in 2003. He then became an instructional coach at Washington STEM Academy in 2012. He has been in his current position as assistant principal for about 1-1/2 years.
Barkey said his time as an instructional coach inspired him to apply for the Madison job.
“I’m familiar with a lot of the staff there. I’m familiar with working with the teachers,” he said.
He added that being a lifelong resident of Warsaw gives him an advantage in that he already knows many people.
“I’m a big guy on building relationships. I’ve been at Warsaw for a long time,” Barkey said.
He said he doesn’t have any plans to make any major changes.
“I just want get there and start working with the teachers and the kids,” Barkey said. “I have great respect for what Mr. Kline did.”
The kids are what’s really about, Barkey said.
Barkey said he enjoys the outdoors in his spare time.
“That’s one of the big reasons I went into biology,” he said.
Barkey and his wife, Dani, have two children, Dylan and Ali. Dani is the WCS chief accountability officer.
