News & Announcements

Brent Baker has joined the Richmond Community Schools (RCS) Leadership Team as the district’s Director of Student Achievement. He succeeds Mrs. Dawn Sonsini who has been named the RCS Assistant Superintendent.

As Director of Student Achievement, Baker will oversee all initiatives that seek to improve student achievement, including seeking resources to support students, analyzing and using data to identify and remove barriers to student achievement.

RCS is pleased to announce Steve Jones as the new principal of Charles Elementary School and Max Smith will succeed Jones as the new principal at Westview Elementary School.

Richmond Community Schools is pleased to announce that Jamie Bolser has been selected as the next Chief Human Resource Officer. Mrs. Bolser comes to RCS with over 20 years of diverse leadership experience. Mrs. Bolser was the Chief Financial Officer at Northwestern School Corporation for eight years while also serving as the president of the Howard County Council. While at Northwestern, Mrs. Bolser contributed to the success of the school corporation by balancing the budget and implementing a districtwide strategic plan that was student focused while partnering with various entities throughout the community. During her tenure as president of the County Council, Mrs. Bolser worked to improve community relationships, employee retention and recruitment, while working collectively with the various departments throughout Howard County. Under her leadership, Howard County was debt free, fiscally solvent, and created lasting partnerships with the City of Kokomo to aid in the recent $2.5 billion joint venture with Stellantis and Samsung SDI to locate the investment in Howard County. Mrs. Bolser also served two terms as the County Assessor. During her time as assessor, she was crucial in successfully negotiating a nationally recognized settlement with General Motors, Delphi and Chrysler during bankruptcy proceedings, recovering 100 percent of all taxes collected by the auto companies during a time when other states were settling for 10%.

Mrs. Bolser holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Indiana University Kokomo. After being a lifelong resident of Howard County, Mrs. Bolser along with her husband Clay Bolser, a 1994 Richmond graduate, have relocated to Richmond. "I am looking forward to joining the RCS team and the opportunity to be a part of the Richmond community. I was a lifelong resident of Howard County so the decision did not come easy. With that said, I am excited to build new relationships and my home in Richmond," Mrs. Bolser said. Clay and Jamie Bolser together have six children.

Richmond Community Schools is pleased to announce that Crystal Cooper has been selected as the next principal at Dennis Middle School. She replaces Andrew Graber who relocated back to his hometown as a result of familial factors outside of his control.

Mrs. Cooper comes to Dennis Middle School from Mt. Vernon Community Schools where she had served as an assistant principal for five years. While at Mt. Vernon, Mrs. Cooper contributed to a multitude of successes that were centered around student learning. Mrs. Cooper was also able to model with fidelity Mt. Vernon’s mission, vision, and core values. She received her Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership from Ball State University and her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Oakland University. Mrs. Cooper has also received numerous awards and certifications throughout her career.

Evan Grossman will be the next assistant principal at Dennis Middle School. Mr. Grossman comes to Dennis Middle School from MSD of Warren Township in Indianapolis. He received his Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership from Butler University and his Bachelor of Science from Indiana University.

Superintendent Dr. Curtis Wright stated, “We are confident that Mrs. Cooper and Mr. Grossman have the qualifications, skill sets, and experience to build up the legacy of the outgoing leadership team there at Dennis Middle School. While we wish Mr. Graber and his family the best as they address familial factors outside of their control, we stand at the ready to provide support to Mrs. Cooper, Mr. Grossman, and the entire Dennis Middle School community.”

CRESTDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Richmond Community Schools is pleased to announce that Jenny Elorreaga has been selected as the next principal at Crestdale Elementary School. She replaces Elizabeth Markward, who has been announced as the new RCS Director of Exceptional Student Education.

Mrs. Elorreaga has been with RCS for 19 years. She is a 1998 alumna of Richmond High School. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Ball State University. She and her husband, Michael, reside in Richmond and have two children, Isabella and Ryan.

“I am looking forward to joining the Crestdale team and serving the Crestdale community as we work together to continue to provide an amazing educational experience for all,” Elorreaga said.


STARR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

A veteran educator will take over leadership at Starr Elementary School. Melissa Jordan brings more than 2 decades of instruction to her role at Starr. She will replace Mallory Cameron who is relocating to Fayette County Schools.

Mrs. Jordan is a 1995 alumna of Richmond High School. She has been an instructional coach and teacher at Starr Elementary School. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education from IU East. Mrs. Jordan lives in Richmond with her husband, Christopher.

Superintendent Dr. Curtis Wright stated, “As the new principals of Crestdale Elementary and Starr Elementary, Mrs. Elorreaga and Mrs. Jordan will be relentless in their pursuits to be transparent, honest, and continue the strong sense of purpose felt throughout the Richmond community.”

Elorreaga and Jordan will officially begin work in July pending RCS School Board approval.

RICHMOND, May 31, 2022 – Richmond High School is excited to announce the hiring of Coach Clay Bolser as new Head Coach of the Richmond Girls Basketball program. Coach Bolser, a 1994 Richmond graduate, brings over 20 years of coaching experience to RHS. He joins us after stints at Bellmont, Northeastern, Plainfield, North Miami and most recently the Girls Coach at Oak Hill High School.
In addition to his coaching experience, Coach Bolser is an experienced educator and leader, spending over 23 years as an art educator including teaching 3 years of AP courses along with middle school civics. He has also spent 6 years as the Athletic Director at North Miami, Rossville, and Assistant Athletic Director at Oak Hill. He uses basketball to teach life lessons and emphasizes the importance of being a student-athlete, pushes players to be the very best version of themselves both on the court and in life outside of the school environment.
“First off, it is an honor for me to be Head Girls Basketball Coach at RHS,” said Coach Bolser. “I am excited about the opportunity to teach and coach in Richmond and be a part of the school district that had a tremendous impact on my life and the lives of so many others in this city. I have always been a proud alumni of Richmond High School and am looking forward to returning to the community and being on staff at RCS. I will work my very best to make this program one that everyone past, present, and future will be excited to be a part of. I am leaving a phenomenal situation with extremely young talent at Oak Hill and a great staff of teachers and administration, because Richmond is personal to me. This city, this school, and this program will receive my very best and I am thankful for the opportunity.”
Coach Bolser will be meeting with returning players to discuss offseason conditioning and establishing goals for the upcoming season. He will also work with RHS Athletic Director Ben Wissel in filling his assistant coaching positions in the upcoming weeks.