By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

More than 12,000 students who attend Perry Township Schools begin and end their days under the care of a bus driver. 

Driving a bus is a rewarding and challenging position in our district. Each day 174 buses safely transport children to and from school. Starting as early as 6 a.m. our drivers pull into the transportation lot on West Edgewood Avenue and fire up those diesel engines. The buses don’t always like starting on cold mornings, so we keep them plugged in; our mechanics come in early to make sure our buses are warmed up and ready to roll.  

Drivers on average will pick up between 40 and 50 students along their routes. The high school and middle school students are picked up first. After they are dropped off the elementary students are picked up. 

Formal bus inspections are conducted by the state police every year in every school district in Indiana. Three specialists in bus mechanics recently spent five days inspecting our fleet. We are proud of our transportation director, the mechanics and the transportation team for their work in keeping our buses running smoothly and passing inspections again this year.   

 “We have to make sure our buses are not only ready for our February state inspection but that they are ready every time they leave the lot to pick up our children,” said Patrick Murphy, transportation director.

Driving a school bus is not a job to the vast majority of the drivers; it is a commitment to the children and youth in our community.  Transporting children to and from 18 schools each day is not an easy task, but our drivers do it with skill and expertise.  

We are in need of drivers and encourage you to apply. Hopefully, you are asking yourself what kind of person Perry Township looks for to drive a school bus. There are some basic characteristics that we believe are essential: You simply must have a sincere, heartfelt desire to protect children and keep them safe. The person is compassionate, patient, firm and fair. Quality drivers understand that they are the first and last people that students see each school day. Drivers have a dramatic effect on a child’s academic career.     
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We can teach you how to drive a bus and help you prepare for the driving test. If you have the above mentioned traits and truly want to make a difference in the lives of children, call Patrick at 789-6225.

By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

When I was going to elementary and middle school I never thought about going to college. When I was in high school I worked in the evenings in produce at a large supermarket. The general expectation for me was to graduate from high school, take over the produce department, marry my high school girlfriend and live happily ever after. 

My grandparents, who were serving in the role as my parents, did not have the financial resources to send me to college nor did they have any idea how to prepare a high school student for attending college. When I was growing up students didn’t talk much about college until midway through high school. My life has truly taken a different path because of a teacher who saw some potential inside me that I never knew existed.

Times have changed. As I walk the halls of our elementary schools, it is not unusual to see colleges highlighted in a classroom. Students and their parents are thinking about the importance of postsecondary education and begin planning for this event early in a child’s life. 

The staff in Perry Township understand the need to prepare our young students for college or vocational opportunities at an early age. Students take classes for college credit at our high schools, which provide a head start on their college careers.

Hundreds of parents and students recently attended college night at Perry Meridian Middle School, where they reviewed SAT and ACT testing formats, the college admissions process and courses of study to enroll. 

The differences between private versus public education at the college level, as well as large versus small school settings were also discussed. The importance of students’ grades and the classes they’re taking in preparation for college were emphasized. The importance of their GPAs and which schools they may be able to attend were discussed at length.  

The partnerships that Perry Township Schools has with local universities is vital to keeping students on track for higher education opportunities. We’re fortunate to have great relationships with many institutions of higher learning.

Our presenters brought decades of experience to share with students to help with their college planning strategies. They offered tips as to what colleges are looking for in a student and ways to make higher education costs more affordable.  

Perhaps the most beneficial part of the event was that students had an opportunity to meet with college representatives individually and gather information to learn about which schools or majors may be the best fit for them.
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It is never too early to plan for future career interests. We all realize that regardless of the career chosen, additional educational experiences beyond high school will be required. Our goal is to prepare our graduates with the skills and knowledge base to be successful in whatever career paths they choose to follow. 

​We live in a community that truly cares about the children who live in Perry Township. Our community also understands the importance of quality schools because they have a huge effect on home values and the attraction of families to move to neighborhoods.  

In addition to the warm support of the residents who live in the community, the business community also strongly supports its local schools in so many ways. Area restaurants provide food for many of our school functions. Donations from businesses are received in all of our 18 schools. Business owners understand the need for quality schools, which produce graduates who will return to the Southside, purchase a home and become productive citizens.  

Every day that school is in session there are examples of local businesses participating in your schools. Their support helps us to make the difference between just being another public school district and being an A district. We live in a day and time when these partnerships are vital to provide our students with adequate facilities and the classroom space that will meet the needs of our growing student population. 

As you may know, the Perry Township School Board has approved an outdoor facilities restoration project for Perry Meridian High. The project will take place in two phases. The first involves improvements on the infrastructure of the grounds on the south side of the school surrounding the tennis courts and practice field. An extensive drainage project will be undertaken to keep the area from flooding so that classes, the band and athletics can safely utilize the space. Field lighting and track resurfacing will also take place.  

Three years ago the Ray Skillman Auto Group pledged to fund the renovation of the football field at Perry Stadium. This generous donation made it possible to install a surface that is resilient, easy to maintain and never needs water. 

During the board meeting Monday night, the board accepted an additional pledge of $1 million to install a synthetic surface on Perry’s football field.  

The dream of Perry Meridian football players eventually playing their home games at home on a field that can also be used for band competitions and other events is one step closer. This facility will generate revenue for the athletic, music and other departments.  

The generosity of the Skillman family is simply phenomenal.  Whenever I have a conversation with either Mr. Skillman or his leadership team, there is always a strong emphasis on meeting the needs of kids in our community. He typically makes the statement that this community has blessed him and he in turn wants to return back to the community.

We are working with several other corporate donors to pay for phase two of the project, during which locker rooms, rest rooms and concession stands will be erected. Our goal is to develop this renovation project with the majority of financial support from donated funding.  
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If you or your company are fortunate enough to be able to give back to the district, please feel free to contact us. No contribution is too small to make a difference in the lives of our students.

By Dr. Thomas Little
Superintendent of Perry Township Schools

There are many extremely successful programs entrenched in the schools of Perry Township. On Jan. 27 Perry Meridian High attained a level of programming for its students that no other school has reached. The school set a benchmark for future growth that will continue to raise the bar on student achievement levels throughout the state.

The program represents the first time that a public university, a private university and a public high school have united as formal partners to provide courses for students that not only meet credit standards for a high school diploma but also gives students college credit. 

University of Indianapolis President Robert Manuel and Vincennes University Chuck Johnson, both innovative leaders, joined forces with Perry Township Schools to set the stage for students to make their dreams a reality through the 1+3 Early College program.

UIndy and VU are flourishing under their form of “can-do, no-excuse” leadership that breaks down traditional barriers and searches relentlessly for answers to challenges. We expressed a need, and they met the challenge. A growing number of Perry Meridian teens can begin their transition to college during their freshman year of high school at a low cost due to the generosity of these two universities.  

 The initiative enables qualifying students on Perry Meridian’s Early College track to graduate with a 30-credit general studies certificate from Vincennes. Students who complete the program and meet admissions standards will be accepted directly into UIndy with at least one year of general education credits already in hand, providing the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree with only three years of further study.

 Though all are eligible to apply, the program specifically targets those who have the potential to succeed in college – as indicated by reading scores and other skills – but may not consider themselves suited for a traditional four-year experience. 

Perry Meridian, which launched the program with last year’s freshmen, is building toward a goal of 125 students at each of the four grades. Our ultimate goal is to prepare a group of students to attain enough college credits to be awarded an associate degree from the university presidents. The course requirements for high schoolers meet the standards of both universities, and the courses will be reviewed annually and updated to ensure relevance. The universities will examine data on student performance to measure the effectiveness of the program.

The bottom line is that we truly believe this program will open the university doors to students who will be challenged, focused and prepared to take on the rigors of a university educational experience.
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It is an honor to serve the Perry Township community and be a part of helping students realize their hopes, dreams and aspirations.