Superintendent of the year named
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The superintendent of Northwest Allen County Schools has been named Indiana Superintendent of the Year by his peers and will now vie for national honors. Wayne Barker received the award from the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents.
He is now the state’s representative in the American Association of School Administrators National Superintendent of the Year program.
Before serving in Allen County, Barker led Mishawaka public schools in St. Joseph County. He was superintendent from 2019 through June 2022, a turbulent time as the pandemic forced schools to close and students to learn remotely.
IAPSS says prior to the pandemic, Mishawaka schools did not have computer devices for all students and did not have e-learning procedures in place. As the healthcare crisis ensued, Barker’s team developed a remote learning plan in one weekend.
The superintendent’s organization says Barker also led the Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District from 2009 to 2019. During his time, he improved the school’s financial picture by increasing the cash balance and its rainy day fund. He also oversaw the construction of our building projects.