Matt Goodpaster for Center Grove School Board

The first question I am always asked is, “Why did you decide to run for School Board?” The answer for me is easy. It’s a long list, but it’s an easy answer: I grew up here. I graduated from here. I’ve coached here. I’ve served here. My kids go to school here. My wife works here. This community not only helped raise Ashley and me, but it’s helping to raise our kids.

Center Grove is more than a school district to me. It is home.

I’m a 2001 graduate of Center Grove, a 2005 graduate of Franklin College, and a 2009 graduate of Stetson University College of Law. My wife, Ashley, is also a 2001 graduate of Center Grove. She has been an elementary teacher for 20 years and has spent the last 5 years as a 4th-grade teacher at Walnut Grove. We have four children. Our oldest, Braden, is a 2026 graduate of Center Grove and the Early College Program. He is currently attending Hanover College and majoring in psychology. Dane (14) is a freshman at CGHS, Caleb (9) is a 4th grader at Walnut Grove, and Evelyn will be 3 in November.

I’ve had the privilege of experiencing this community from many different perspectives—as a student, a coach, a parent, a community leader, and the proud husband of a Center Grove teacher. I spent the last nine years coaching basketball in the district, have served as President of the Center Grove Education Foundation, and have volunteered in several community-based programs. I have watched not only our community but also our schools continue to grow and thrive. Few things have given me greater appreciation for this place than watching the teachers, administrators, coaches and friends from the Center Grove community show up every day and invest in not just mine, but all of our kids’ futures.

My professional career has also given me a broad range of leadership, organizational, and collaborative experience. I have led teams, managed complex operations and budgets, developed strategic initiatives, served on multiple boards, built partnerships, led renovation and building projects, and currently work with customers daily to understand their needs and find solutions. My experience has taught me that successful organizations aren’t built by one person—they are built by a team of people. People who listen, communicate, collaborate, and work toward a common purpose. I will bring that same philosophy of collaboration and communication to the Center Grove School Board.

Center Grove Community Schools have experienced tremendous success, which should be celebrated; however, like any successful organization, we cannot become complacent. We must continually look ahead and prepare for the opportunities and challenges our students, teachers, staff, and community will face moving forward.

Simply put, we must Celebrate Success and Pursue Progress. For me, this means honoring what we have built while continually challenging ourselves to prepare for the future.

Center Grove students are the center of that future. Their success must remain the primary focus of every conversation and every decision. But student success doesn’t happen in isolation. Without our teachers and staff, student success is impossible. I understand firsthand the importance of supporting the people who serve our students. I believe the best way to move Center Grove forward is to not only support our students but to equip and resource our teachers and staff, engage with parents, and facilitate community conversations allowing us to make informed decisions.

I am running for the Center Grove School Board because I believe in this community, I believe in our schools, I believe in our teachers, and most importantly, I believe in our students! If I have the privilege of serving on the Board, my goal is to work with fellow members, students, teachers, administrators, parents, and our community to position our schools to excel for generations to come, and hopefully give back to this community a small piece of all that it has given me!

PAID FOR BY MATT GOODPASTER FOR CENTER GROVE SCHOOL BOARD