A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Rande Thorpe

rthorpeFrom financial advisory to CFO to superintendent, Rande Thorpe, current interim superintendent of La Porte Community School Corporation, has been a jack-of-all-trades; however, of all the hats he has worn, Thorpe is starting to realize that his current one is the one he was meant to wear.

“Once I landed in this position, I realized God put me here for a reason. I believe that all the opportunities and jobs I’ve had in the past were so that I can be here and meet the needs of the students of La Porte,” Thorpe said.

Thorpe made his way to La Porte in 2008 after spending time in various educational settings. He spent 17 years working within the Warsaw school district as first transportation director, director of support personnel, business manager, and ultimately as chief financial officer. After a few years out of education and then working for a virtual school in Las Vegas, Thorpe saw an opening for a familiar CFO position in La Porte.

“I had a three year break from education, but knew I needed to come back. I believe those are the strengths and abilities given to me. I feel everyone needs to find out what their niche is and pursue it,” Thorpe commented.

Thorpe found himself moving offices after Dr. Glade Montgomery took a position for a national educational organization. Thorpe was asked to step up and take the reins for the La Porte School Corporation due to a lack of time to open up a nationwide search. However, Thorpe’s leadership and love of the job has gained recognition from teachers and the chamber of commerce, both of whom have given their backing for Thorpe to stay on permanently as superintendent.

“Very quickly after taking this position, I realized this is where I needed to be. I would really like to stay. I think people are responding well to me, and I think we are all working well together. We’ve started addressing things that need to be improved,” Thorpe said.

In his time as superintendent, Thorpe has been hard at work improving different facets of LPCSC’s educational needs, with a large emphasis on virtual learning. Besides working in his office, he has been making his way around many classrooms and activities within the corporation.

“It’s my privilege to create an environment of excitement and enthusiasm about what we are doing. It’s important to celebrate success and to build a winning, positive tradition in our academics, athletics, and everything we do. I want to inspire a service based corporation,” Thorpe said.

La Porte Community School Corporation has been put into capable hands. Thorpe has an unwavering passion for creating a successful environment for all involved in the educational process. He is not afraid to devote the time and energy needed to take La Porte to the next level.

“I believe that working together we can make La Porte one of the most successful communities in the state." Thorpe said. "I think La Porte is great, but I think it could be even greater. I am going to do whatever I need to do to get us there.”