Greenwood’s next school superintendent didn’t have to travel far for the gig.
Terry Terhune’s goal was always to come back to work in his hometown, and after more than two decades in education, that goal became a reality Tuesday, when he was named the next superintendent of Greenwood Community Schools.
Terhune is a lifelong Greenwood resident. He graduated from Greenwood High School in 1988, and moved back to his hometown to start a family after college. All three of his now-adult children are also Greenwood graduates.
The superintendent serves as the chief executive officer, overseeing the entire Greenwood school system. He administers the operations of the individual schools within Indiana law, and enforces the rules and polices established by the Indiana State Board of Education. The superintendent is also responsible for supervising and coordinating the work of all schools in the district, and providing educational leadership to the school board, staff and surrounding community.
Terhune will officially take the helm July 1, after Kent DeKoninck retires June 30. His base salary will be $155,000, according to his contract approved by the Greenwood school board.
Terhune will be the first Greenwood alumnus to take leadership of the school system, said Mike Metzger, president of the school board.
“Terry knows this community. He knows these people, our parents, our students, our staff. He knows our neighborhoods, our churches, our love for Greenwood because he already shares that with us,” Metzger said.
Although he and his family live in Greenwood, Terhune spent most of his career working in school systems outside the county.
He received a bachelor’s degree in math education from Indiana University, and taught math at the middle school and high school levels at Eminence Community Schools in Martinsville. He later got a master’s degree from Ball State University.
He worked at Eminence schools for 19 years, taking on a number of roles, including teacher, coach, principal and superintendent. Terhune made the move to the Metropolitan School District of Martinsville in 2015, to serve as assistant superintendent. While there, he received his Ph.D. from Indiana State University.
Most recently, he was the assistant superintendent at Avon Community Schools for two years.
Coming back to Greenwood to work as superintendent is a dream come true, Terhune said.
“I’m nervous, and a little anxious, but I’m also very excited to jump in and work alongside all the great people here at Greenwood,” Terhune said. “My vision is to simply continue all the great things that are going on.”
Terhune has known DeKoninck for a number of years. He thanked him Tuesday night for his work at Greenwood schools, and for being a mentor to him. They often met for breakfast when Terhune sought leadership and education career advice.
“There’s been times when I’ve texted him just asking, ‘Hey do you want to get breakfast?’ as an aspiring aspiring school administrator wanting to get more experience,” Terhune said. “He was always there to talk with me.”
Terhune and his wife, Angie, are excited to get involved in the school community again by attending different school functions and sporting events, which they have missed going to since all their children graduated, he said.
“We’ve decided that we’ve just adopted 3,500 new kids to support,” Terhune said.
