By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – It was approved at Monday night's Niles Community Schools Board of Education meeting that Dr. Dan Applegate and Mrs. Adrienne Andrews-Blanton were offered administrative contracts that will begin in August.
Dr. Applegate was named the Director of Special Education, while Andrews-Blanton will be a half-time principal at Southside School and a half-time teacher consultant.
The district looked to replace its retiring special education director, Bill Kennedy, who took over in 1985.
Kennedy also served as principal of Southside School.
Applegate, who received a one-year contract for $83,000, comes to the school system with plenty of prior experience.
His work has included an instructor in adjunct faculty at Saint Mary's and Lake Michigan Colleges, a school psychologist at Berrien County Intermediate School District and South Bend Community School Corporation, a graduate teacher assistant at Andrews University.
He was also a substitute teacher at New Prairie Junior High School and a youth treatment specialist at the Family Children's Center.
Applegate attended Wabash College and Andrews University.
"We are extremely pleased that Dr. Applegate will be joining our staff. He is very familiar with the school district and brings outstanding experience to the position," said Doug Law, superintendent for Niles Community Schools.
Andrews-Blanton, who was given a one-year contract for $78,000, has been involved with the Niles school system since 2001, previously working as a teacher consultant and an accommodation consultant.
Before that, she worked for the School City of Hammond, Gary Neighborhood Services and the National Youth Corporation.
Andrews-Blanton earned her Masters Degree from Purdue University and her Bachelors Degree from Ball State University.
"Adrienne has worked at Southside for five years and her familiarity to the program will be a great assess to the school district," Law added.
In other business, in its organizational meeting the board elected Scott Tyler as board president, Mike Dreher as vice president, Mary Crayton as treasurer and Jerry French as secretary.