Sitting in a room full of her peers at the JW Marriott on Nov. 23, Amy Boone was just excited to see which one of them she would get to clap for as they walked on stage to be honored as Indiana’s High School Principal of the Year.
Once the winners for elementary and middle school were announced and all eyes were on the nominees for high school, the winner’s name was called out.
Then the realization hit her: It was hers.
But teamwork is only one of the many facets of her job that excites her.
In just her third year serving as the principal at SHS, Boone has had a strong impact on the school in both culture and policy. Her work towards aligning the school with her vision has led her to become officially recognized as Indiana’s top high school principal for this year.
When she first took on the role of principal in 2023 after being the associate principal for one year, she wasted no time in mapping out a plan. She came up with three words that would become themes for her first three years: ignite, connect and empower.
During her first year, she wanted to focus on igniting passion in the school’s administration and exploring new ideas in hopes of enriching the student experience.
“There was a fantastic foundation,” Boone said. “So then it was just, ‘What is it that we need to continue supporting students?’”
That initiative was what ultimately led her and the rest of the administration to hone in on freshman success in the following year.
In order to more closely monitor student growth, select groups of freshmen were cohorted and scheduled to have the same core subject teachers. Every Wednesday during professional development, those teachers meet to reflect on their instructional practices and student data. This was an idea proposed by Assistant Principal Matt Weimer, who later went on to lead the program after he and Boone saw its potential at SHS.
Ashley Quinlin, who is the team lead for one of the cohorts, says that the program has been massively successful and has led to noticeable academic and behavioral improvement from those select freshmen.
“On average, the grades for the cohort versus the rest of the freshman class was significantly better,” Quinlin said.
Additionally, the freshman conversation cafe has given members of the youngest class who have a study hall the opportunity to discuss their goals, concerns or struggles in regards to school with district and community members.
“(We’re) just really trying to intentionally support and make sure that students don’t fall through the cracks, and (let them) know that they have a place here at Southport,” Boone said.
Stepping back and looking at every grade, Boone’s next pursuit was to strengthen the connection of students to their school and make them feel more welcome and supported.
She says that coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in student disconnection from school. She took on the role of principal only a few years later, when dropping test scores and attendance rates were lingering problems that had to be remedied.
But now, it seems that the efforts made by her and the rest of the administrative team have had an impact.
In recent years, more students have reported feeling connected to the school, and new clubs such as the Black Student Union and the Myanmar Student Association have been formed and continuously led by students.
“I’ve been happy to see students working to connect with the school and advocating for themselves a lot more,” Boone said.
This in turn has tied directly back into her hope to empower students to own their education and stand up for the changes they want to see in the school.
In addition to growing school participation and involvement, she has also shifted the culture at SHS. Her positive attitude has spread to many of those around her, and her focus on community hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“She wants every staff member, every teacher (and) every student to feel like they are part of something, that this is their home and this is where you come and do great things,” Associate Principal Eric Woodke said.
Boone has actively involved more staff members outside of administration into conversations about making changes in the school. One way she has done this is by bringing department chairs into instructional leadership team (ILT) meetings, which gives teachers more opportunities to communicate their ideas.
Beyond the decision-making process, she began the tradition of honoring one staff member of the week every Friday, who is awarded with a letter of appreciation from Boone and other staff members, as well as other prizes.
Assistant Principal Josef Horvath, who is a longtime associate of Boone’s, says that her admiration for each staff member has built an atmosphere of gratitude and positivity.
“We are one staff. We function as one staff, and she wants us to continue that together,” Horvath said. “Success isn’t built in silos, and she is continuing to preach that as she continues to move and work through her time here as principal.”
Even with the accolades she now has in her position, Boone wasn’t initially sure that she was prepared to rise up to the role.
She says that being a principal requires a great degree of communication and time management. She believes that not worrying before taking on the job would indicate not understanding its importance.
However, even with her own concerns about being first in command, many of those around her had full confidence that she was going to thrive in her new position. This included her predecessor, Brian Knight, who is now the Director of Secondary Education in Perry Township.
Knight was the principal at SHS for seven years prior to Boone, and he worked closely with her for that entire time. Boone spent those years as an assistant principal, and then associate principal for Knight’s last year at the school.
“When I left, I knew Mrs. Boone was very capable and ready to step into that role,” Knight said. “She’s always been very capable to do that level of work.”
With the support of the administration and the rest of the staff behind her, Boone was able to put aside her worries and learn the intricacies of principalship along the way.
Now that she is nearly three years in, she has become intertwined with SHS beyond the constant hustle that comes with the job.
For her, family takes multiple forms at the school. In addition to her work family, her two daughters, Abby and Lily Boone, are sophomores at SHS. With blankets from their home on her office couch and family photos on her shelves, the Boone family has created a home away from home at the school.
She says that she wanted her daughters to attend the school because it offers a valuable perspective as a parent of students going through Perry Township and because she believes in the school’s strength as a whole.
Her daughter Lily says that being able to see behind the scenes of her mothers role makes her more appreciative of the work that the administrative team does for SHS.
“Being able to see her do the work and then see it happen in school makes me respect her a lot more,” Lily said.
Boone’s 16 years of working at the school have impacted her in many ways. And now, it’s her turn to return the favor.
Looking forward, Boone hopes to continue fine-tuning systems and programs that have been set up during her first three years as principal. She also plans to focus on listening to student voices and making sure everyone who attends SHS is set up for success during and after high school.
“We have fun, we work hard, and we’re not done yet,” Boone said in her acceptance speech for the award. “We still have a lot of work to do, and I’m excited for what the future holds.”
