Tonagel
Information from Mike Kellems
At a special meeting Tuesday night, May 7, 2013, the LaPorte Community School Board voted to hire LPHS alumnus Ben Tonagel as the new principal at LaPorte High School.
Tonagel will replace current principal Greg Handel, who will retire at the end of the current school year.
A committee of school staff reviewed the applicants, and following a rigorous process, Tonagel was recommended to LaPorte schools Superintendent Dr. Glade Montgomery. At the May 7 meeting the school board unanimously approved Tonagel.
Ben is a 1997 graduate of LaPorte High School and graduated from Grace College, then entered the education field in Warsaw, IN. Six years ago Ben took a job as assistant principal of Fairfield High School in Elkhart County, IN. Three years ago he moved to the principal’s position at Fairfield, which was recently named as a top performing school in Indiana by a national magazine.
Ben and his wife, Amanda, also a LaPorte High graduate, were at the meeting with their three sons Charlie, Sawyer and Brooks. Following the board’s approval, Supt. Montgomery welcomed the three newest Slicers by presenting them with bright orange T-shirts.
Ben Tonagel and his brothers — Greg, Joel and Troy — were all LPHS basketball standouts. Their parents are Hugh and Kathy Tonagel of LaPorte.
The board also accepted the resignation of Chief Financial Officer Rande Thorpe. Following a five-year stint working for the corporation, Thorpe has decided to retire. Several board members expressed their regret at seeing the CFO leave, but all agreed that Thorpe had brought the corporation through difficult times, particularly with the tax issues in LaPorte County, and has been largely responsible for leaving the corporation in outstanding financial shape.
The board also voted to approve the transfer of Kingsbury Principal Greg Hunt to the CFO position. Greg has a long history with the corporation, including serving as a business teacher and assistant principal at both Kesling Middle School and the high school.