Jim Mehling appointed new Forest Park principal

The Southeast Dubois County School Board named Jim Mehling as the new principal of Forest Park Senior/Junior High School. He was promoted from assistant principal during Wednesday night’s Southeast Dubois School Board meeting.

The board took little time in replacing current principal Jeff Jessee, who submitted his resignation at November’s meeting, with a departure date of December 31st.

Superintendent Rick Allen says that a succession plan was in place that helped make the move an easy one.

Mehling said he feels good about the chance to lead the 446 high school students in the school system. “I look forward to having this opportunity and the board was gracious enough to give it to me,” Mehling said. “Mr. Jessee has done a great job here for 10 years now. I’m just looking forward to the opportunity.

Mehling has been with the school system for 33 years and it is the only school system he has served in. 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 lives in Ferdinand with his wife, Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann.

The board also named Jarred Howard as the new assistant principal in last night’s meeting. Howard has been with the school system for 16 years and is currently the high school baseball coach – a position that he plans on retaining for the foreseeable future.

According to Allen the moves bring stability and familiarity to the school system. “We’re really excited to have that kind of experience already here, so it’s a pretty smooth transition,” he said. “We’re a well-oiled machine – Southeast Dubois is running, we’re on the tracks. We’re really tickled pink to be in this situation.”

Allen says that they will continue on the path of excellence, which has garnered Pine Ridge Elementary Blue Ribbon School status in the state this year.