Whiteland Community High School’s new principal is a familiar face to students.
Duke Lines, who was interim principal, was officially named the high school’s new principal after an unanimous 5-0 vote during Tuesday’s Clark-Pleasant school board meeting. Lines was the former assistant principal and was voted in as interim principal after former principal Benji Betts took a job at Franklin Community Schools in June, becoming their executive director of operations.
Lines has spent the last 15 years in the education field. Prior to moving to the district, he worked in the education field around Central Indiana since 2017.He has worked as an education consultant with Central Indiana Education Service Center, as a high school administrator and has also taught at the middle school level. He’s been with Clark-Pleasant School District since the 2019-2020 school year.
Lines said that the transition to high school principal was uncomplicated, and he expressed his gratitude to Betts and the administration team for their support.
“I learned a lot from Benji Betts, and I accredit him with a lot of my growth here,” Lines said. “He gave me a lot of opportunities and leadership, and I feel prepared for the principal-ship because of him. I feel extreme support from our current administration. I think that really empowers me to be able to continue the work that we have already started this year.”
Education runs in the Lines bloodline. His father continues to teach and coach at 70 years-old at Homestead High School in Fort Wayne. Lines credited with his father with inspiring him to teach. He grew up wanting to be an educator with the eventual goal of serving in an administrative role.
He described becoming the new principal as “a dream come true” for himself and his family, who are also heavily-involved in the district. Lines’ wife teaches at Whiteland High School and his four children all attend Clark-Pleasant Schools, with his oldest graduating at the end of last school year.
Lines described the Warrior community as unwavering and gracious, stating that they have really embraced him and his family.
“We have fully bought into the Warrior way,” Lines said. “Our kids are in youth programs and in the schools, and we were fully embraced by the community. The people make Whiteland different. Our staff is extremely welcoming and kind. Our central office and school board are extremely supportive. [Superintendent Tim] Edsell’s vision for the community is the thing that we need right now. He is very focused on making our students life-ready.”
Edsell commended Lines’ ability to communicate, said he is impressed with his ability to develop positive relationships with students and staff and that he showcased strong qualities as an assistant principal at the high school level.
“He has a strong academic focus with a curricular background and experience in dealing with effective instruction and looking at data,” Edsell said. “He has a strong work ethic and a strong desire to make Whiteland Community High School a better place for our students. He is very honest and transparent when it comes to dealing with all kinds of issues. I trust in his ability to make tough decisions and his ability to communicate those decisions in a fair and honest manner.”
The Clark-Pleasant school district is growing, according to the latest ADM counts. They are one of two schools in the county to have an increase in their student population, the other being Greenwood Community Schools.
Lines said that there are many factors that make Clark-Pleasant stand out from other schools.
“We have growing graduation pathways and opportunities for students to experience certain courses,” he said. “We are continuing to add to that. We just started a parent-teacher organization this year, and I am extremely thrilled that we have so many willing parents that want to be in our schools.”
Lines’ primary focus is to maintain a strong connection between students, staff and families at WCHS. He wants to ensure that the students are receiving the academic support that they need and hopes that they get involved in an extracurricular activity such as an athletic club, student organization or involvement in the fine arts.
“If there is more connection in our school, the students are going to have more success,” Lines said. “I want to make sure that our staff are connected to one another and connected to our students. I also want to make sure that we are connected to our families. We need to make sure that they are informed on how their students are doing, and also are aware of all of the different opportunities that students have.”
In addition to announcing Lines’ promotion Tuesday, the Clark-Pleasant school board announced that Bethany Guilfoy was promoted to interim principal at Whiteland Elementary School. Read more about that by clicking here.
