Forest Park principal to retire at end of school year

Forest Park principal Jim Mehling sobered the mood at the Southwest Dubois School Board meeting Wednesday when he submitted a notice of his intention to retire in June.

The board passed a motion to accept the retirement, but unwillingly.

Mehling took the position in 2013 after Jeff Jessee retired.

Mehling has been with the Southeast Dubois School system for 35 1/2 years total. He is a 1977 Forest Park graduate and a graduate of Indiana State University in 1980. He received his administrator’s license in 1997.

Mehling said he knew the time was right. “I feel very good about it being time for me to go here. We’ve had some transition time here at Forest Park,” he said. “We’ve got good young people.”

Mehling said that even though he’s retiring, he’s looking forward to being near to his wife, Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann, and finding his next challenge.

“I’m looking for what the future’s going to hold. Sue’s very active, and we spend a lot of time apart from each other, so we’re hoping that we’ll find ways to spend a little more time together,” he said.

Southeast Dubois School Superintendent Rick Allen wished Mehling well and added that he had started with Southeast two years before he did so they’ve been together for about 33 years.

Allen says that they will begin the search for a new principal right away.