Franklin Township names Flora Reichanadter as new superintendent - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Franklin Township will appoint a new superintendent of schools at a board meeting next Monday.

Dr. Flora Reichanadter will be named superintendent. She joined Franklin Township Community School Corporation in 2011 as assistant superintendent where she was responsible for K-12 curriculum, instruction and assessment.

The school district says Reichanadter has 17 years of experience in school administration, including principal, curriculum coordinator and director of elementary curriculum. She has a master of sciences (M.S. in Elementary Education) and a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D. in Education Leadership) from Purdue University.

Prior to joining Franklin Township Community School Corporation, Reichanadter worked as director of elementary curriculum for Hamilton Southeastern Schools in Fishers where she was responsible for facilitating curriculum initiatives in 12 elementary schools and three intermediate schools. She also has 11 years of experience as principal for both Hamilton Southeastern Schools and Griffith Public Schools.

Dr. Walter Bourke, the previous superintendent, announced his plans to resign in March 2012.

Bourke oversaw a tumultuous year during which the school district introduced busing fees. Many parents were outraged by the new fees, and some sued the district. Indiana's attorney general weighed in, saying the fees were unconstitutional. The issue went all the way to Gov. Mitch Daniels, who signed a bill prohibiting school districts from charging school bus fees to students.

Franklin Township came under fire at the start of the 2011 school year after turning over its bus service to a non-profit, which charged $47.50 per child per month to ride the bus. The district made the changes to cut costs after two referendums to raise money through property taxes failed.

While 1,900 students continued taking the bus, many others stopped, relying on their parents or car pools to get them to and from school.

Reichanadter will take office as superintendent on August 1, 2012.