Katie Bushard, principal at Marrs Elementary School was honored as Posey County Administrator of the Year. The award was presented at the 2022 Posey County State of the Schools event on February 22, 2022.
The annual award is given to an outstanding Posey County classroom teacher or administrator who is a dedicated and skilled leader, inspires students, demonstrates leadership, and has the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues.
“Katie Bushard has served Marrs very well over the last two years; she has done an excellent job working with students, teachers and parents to create a productive learning environment in the midst of a pandemic,” said Dr. Matt Thompson, Ph.D. Superintendent of Schools MSD of Mount Vernon. “She brings an infectious positive attitude to work each day and has proven to be an excellent leader.”
Katie Bushard began her career in Education at Marrs Elementary where she worked as an assistant and remediation teacher in 2012. She moved on to teach High School English at Mount Vernon Senior High School for several years. During her time at Mount Vernon High School she was a member of the School Improvement Team and Curriculum development committee. She also provided tech support for the building as a Certified Technology Leader for the district.
Mrs. Bushard completed her undergraduate work in Secondary English Education at the University of Southern Indiana and earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Ball State University. During her Graduate studies, Bushard completed an administrative internship under Dr. Matt Thompson and one semester under former Marrs Principal, Mr. Greg DeWeese.
Nominated by multiple colleagues and peers, Mrs. Bushard’s nominees described her as a positive influence with a “spirit of perseverance.” She was complimented on her ability to lead teachers at Marrs by providing the support and direction they need, but also allowing space for each teacher’s individual strengths to shine.
One nominee submitted the following about Mrs. Bushard, “An elementary principal has a challenging role to be a nurturing figure for the students to see each morning, a disciplinarian when needed and the person setting the vision for the building. At less than two years in the role, Katie is already exceeding expectations in her fulfillment of these roles!”