Plainfield Schools Welcomes New Superintendent
On Jan. 2, 2026, Plainfield School Corporation will welcome new superintendent Andy Allen, succeeding Scott Olinger, who served as superintendent for 17 years.
“After an extensive search, we are confident that Mr. Allen brings the leadership experience, educational vision and commitment to excellence that will serve our students, families and community well,” says Jessica Elston, president of the Board of School Trustees.“His proven track record of student achievement and innovative programming makes him the ideal candidate to lead Plainfield Schools into the future.”
Allen brings 26 years of educational experience to the position, including his current role as principal at Batesville High School, where he has served since 2013. He holds a master’s degree in educational administration and supervision from Butler University, an education specialist degree from Indiana Wesleyan University and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
He also serves as the president of the Indiana Association of School Principals and was a member of the Indiana Aspiring Superintendent Academy Cohort from the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents.
In fact, education runs in his family. Both of Allen’s parents and his sister served as educators in Lebanon, Indiana. His wife, Kathy, works in special education in Batesville, one daughter is teaching at South Decatur Elementary and another is pursuing her education degree at Taylor University.
Even with the excitement of a new superintendent in the mix, Allen hopes things run so smoothly many won’t even notice the change.
“My hope is that Dec. 19 and Jan. 5 (the start and end of Christmas break) will be very similar,” Allen says. “There’s going to be a lot of listening on my part to understand where we are going, and I’m excited to work with building leaders, central office staff, the board and the community. Scott has been there a long time and has done a tremendous job, so I look forward to keeping that momentum going.”
Under Allen’s leadership, Batesville High School has achieved significant success connecting students with post-secondary opportunities, whether that be college, military service, technical certifications or other credentials and licenses.
He hopes to share what he’s learned with Plainfield Community School Corporation as well.
“I’m going into a school corporation that is achieving at very high levels,” he says. “There is close community involvement and great opportunities for our students. We want to look at where we can expand as far as career experience and awareness is concerned. Let’s look at what opportunities exist within our own community, and we want students to know what’s right here in Plainfield.”
Allen referred to one program he helped launch in Batesville — a partnership with community members to share opportunities with students, while also sharing the skills students are learning in the classroom with the community.
Older generations were often taught a four-year college degree was the only way to go. However, that’s no longer the case.
“Opportunities are shifting to the student and their families,” he says. “It’s not necessarily a system that says you have to do it this way anymore. We’re developing transcripts in different ways that include technical certificates, associate degrees, and as a school corporation we want to look at what relevant skills our students will walk out of high school with to be gainfully employed.”
Allen says it’s clear that Plainfield has provided similar preparation in the past, and he’s excited to take things a step further.
“About 25% of our staff are Plainfield graduates,” he adds. “People want to come back to this area, and we’re going to continue to develop environments where we can recruit students back to the education profession. A lot of people would tell you, ‘I’m here because of the experience I had when I was a student,’ and we want to continue that.”
His new role will also involve working with staff and the school board, and he looks forward to leading the adults in a direction that embraces the changes we see in the community and across the country.
In fact, Allen has already met with each of the building leaders and is learning how each guides their own staff and students. And while he’s impressed by the passion and commitment of each Plainfield staff member, he also recognizes the need to stay on top of new advancements and the ever-changing world of technology.
“I am old enough to remember when the internet was going to eliminate all teaching,” Allen says. “I’ve been privileged to lead technology or new process training, and we often forget to train the staff first. We want to help train but also help develop ideas on how to teach our students best practices. We want to be the model for them when we utilize new technologies, but also put up these guardrails so they’re aware of the challenges that come with new technology.”
Allen says Plainfield is home to young staff and experienced staff, and he hopes to bridge the generations of leaders.
“We want people to be able to step in and lead school buildings, as well as inspire leaders at the central office and the school board for the development of our school system,” he says. “How can we meet the desires of our community but at the same time recognize that students are coming through the school system differently today than they did 10 or 20 years ago?”
Most of all, Allen is looking forward to joining the community with his family and embracing all that is Plainfield Community School Corporation.
“Being named superintendent of the Plainfield School Corporation is an extreme honor and a humbling experience,” Allen says. “The current Plainfield Community School Corporation leadership team under the direction of Mr. Olinger has exceeded expectations as we begin this transition process. I’m looking forward to intentional and consistent learning ahead as I prepare.”
