Sunday, August 17, 2025
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ROUNDABOUT PROGRESS
The roundabout on North Harrison Street continues to take shape as infrastructure work is in progress. | photo by JOHN WALKER
Superintendent Opens School Year with Updates
Shelbyville Central Schools Superintendent Matt Vance, Ph.D., met with community members Wednesday morning at Porter Coffee for his first “Visit with Vance” of the school year. The hour-long informal conversation highlighted progress in staffing, facilities, safety and programming while also addressing financial challenges and enrollment trends. Dr. Vance emphasized both optimism and realism: “We are blessed to have great families, great kids and great people, but we also know we must prepare for some difficult years ahead.”
School Year Start & Staffing
Only 13 new teachers hired this year, the lowest turnover in his four years.
Seven certified positions were left unfilled due to finances and enrollment considerations.
Teacher Recruitment & Support
Emphasis on orientation and retention efforts, including a bus tour of the community for new teachers.
“Once we hire them, we want to make them as good as we can…I want them to stay in education and at Shelbyville Central.”
Childcare for Staff
District-run child care for employees (ages 1 and 2) now serves 14 children, with 10 at a time.
Facilities Projects
Major middle school renovation starting mid-year, expected to last 18 months.
High school locker room renovations scheduled after spring sports; additional updates to athletic spaces and parking lots completed.
School Safety
Conducted a large-scale reunification drill this summer to prepare for emergencies.
Strong collaboration with school resource officers: “School safety is always on our mind…we don’t just say it, we practice it.”
Finances & Enrollment
Declining enrollment and upcoming property tax reform are major concerns, especially when the local income tax revenue expires in 2028.
“We definitely know that our funding is going to be cut significantly…2026, 2027, 2028 are major concerns.”
October 1 count day remains critical for state funding allocations.
New Programs
Launch of a virtual program for grades 7-12 with 18 students currently enrolled; district receives 85 percent funding for each.
Introduction of a facility dog at the high school to support student well-being.
Participation in PCAP, a specialized freshman program recently approved.
Career & Technical Education
Over 400 SCS students attend Blue River Career Center, the largest group among participating districts.
Community Relations & Image
Emphasized curb appeal, partnerships, and reputation in an era of open school choice.
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STATION BREAK
The popular model train display at the Grover Museum is temporarily out of service while repairs are underway. A section of track has been removed and is being rebuilt in stages, with roadbed, track and ballast each requiring overnight drying times between steps. | photo by JOHN WALKER
NOTEBOOK:
Shelby County home sales were down in July compared to June, dropping from 58 to 41 sales, but was on par with the 43 homes sold last July, according to MIBOR data.
HOOSIER NEWS: Butler University plans to have a stand-alone engineering program up and running for fall semester 2026, becoming the latest small, private Indiana college to pursue engineering students in a competitive environment where the degrees are in high demand. For 24 years, Butler students could pursue engineering degrees through a five-year dual degree program in tandem with Purdue University at the former IUPUI. Now that the college has split into Indiana University Indianapolis and Purdue University in Indianapolis, Butler University has decided to pursue a program of its own. Indianapolis-based Marian University and the University of Indianapolis both have engineering programs, established in 2022 and 2016, respectively. Purdue awards the most engineering degrees of any college in the United States, at about 3,000 bachelor’s degrees in 2025. It’s followed by Texas A&M University, which awarded almost 2,500 engineering bachelor’s degrees in 2024. Engineering students make up 30 percent of Purdue’s population. And the school is selective: It accepts only 46.1 percent of applicants. (IBJ)
NATIONAL NEWS: Since 2010, suicide rates among young men have risen by a third — they are now higher than they are among middle-aged men. The share of college degrees going to men has fallen to 41 percent, lower than the women’s share in 1970. One in 10 men aged 20 to 24 is effectively doing nothing — neither enrolled in school nor working. That’s twice the rate in 1990. (New York Times)
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This Day in Shelby County History
Local headlines reported on or around this date in Shelby County history. Selections are curated by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials.
2005: Shirley Bailey, owner of the Chaperral Cafe, hosted her fourth Gospel Sing chicken dinner fundraiser for area churches. Bailey provided the food and donated proceeds from the dinner to a different community church each month.
1995: Waldron High School teacher Beth Conley, 34, passed away from what appeared to be a rare form of strep bacteria. Conley had worked teacher-preparation day just two days prior, but went home early thinking she had the flu.
1985: County Commissioners Bob Newton and Kenny Nigh officially opened Bridge No. 63, known as the Morristown Road bridge. “The commissioners declared, ‘It’s open,’ after a search was made for a ribbon or a piece of string to cut and nothing suitable could be found,” The Shelbyville News said.
1975: The J & L Tool team won the league title in the Shelbyville A-League competition. Team members were Greg Antle, Jeff Moheban, Danny Toll, Mike Clapp, Danny Oeffinger, Dude McNew, Greg Sosbe, John Lettelier, Todd Branson, Cory Newton, Bobby Martin, Kim Mills and Greg Pearson. Bill Oeffinger was the coach.
1965: Brian Robertson was named Junior Fireman of the 18th Flat Rock Fall Festival.
A man was jailed for operating a vehicle 30 minutes after his license had been suspended for driving while intoxicated.
1955: School was set to open Sept. 7. Preliminary enrollment was 2,230 across Shelbyville, up 149 from the prior year.
1945: Local business firms were closed for two days, at the suggestion of President Truman, to mark the close of the war. Government officials announced gas rationing was over. Tire rationing was still in effect.
1935: Heading into the final night of the Shelby County Fair, fair officials said that despite heavy rains, attendance had far exceeded the 1934 fair.
1925: Plans were completed to lay the cornerstone of the Messick Masonic Temple. A parade line would be formed on W. Broadway and march to the S. Harrison site.
1915: Four local men were jailed on charges of loitering after they were found “standing in the Little Blue River bridge,” The Republican said.
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OBITUARIES
Jana L. Favors, 68, of Shelbyville, died Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis.
Born June 3, 1957, in Shelbyville, she was the daughter of Troy L. Clapp and Dena Wagoner. She married David Favors on Feb. 8, 1987, and he survives. Other survivors include her sister, Michelle (Scott) Smith of Shelbyville; brother, David Wells of Shelbyville; sister-in-law, Linda (Hal) Pike; brothers-in-law, Harvey (Sylvia) Favors and Scott (Margie) Favors; sister-in-law, Mary Favors; brother-in-law, Tom Fallis; and nieces, Jennifer Wells, Samantha Wells and Whitney Fallis. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Darrell Wells and Troy L. Clapp II; sister, Stacy Fallis; and stepmother, Anne Clapp.
Favors lived in the Shelbyville area her entire life and graduated from Shelbyville High School. She worked as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier for 28 years. She enjoyed spending time in Florida, which she considered her happy place. She also loved her dog, Buffy, and cherished time with family and friends.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.