Gary W. Roupp
Taylorsville Elementary has received a sizable donation from the estate of a late volunteer.
The Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. board will allow the school to spend funds donated by the estate of Gary W. Roupp of Edinburgh, who died in late 2022.
Superintendent Jim Roberts said that the donation was $50,000 and required approval due to its size.
According to a memorandum of understanding between the school and Roupp’s estate, “The parties shall endeavor to continue fulfilling the purposes that Mr. Roupp believed in while he was faithfully serving the students and staff at Taylorsville Elementary School.”
Under the agreement, the school will purchase a number of items, including:
- Reading materials for students to access through the Taylorsville Book Vending Machine and the school library
- Mathematics materials and resources
- Food for the Taylorsville food pantry
- Clothing/supplies for the Taylorsville Student/Family Angel Tree Fund to benefit individuals experiencing financial hardship
- School supplies for the Taylorsville School Supply Closet to benefit students or families in need
- Items for “positively recognizing staff and students”
BCSC officials are also considering the possibility of creating an outdoor “Gary Roupp Mindfulness Space” at the school, with Roberts saying this is still under review.
Roupp, 69, died on Dec. 14, 2022 at Silver Oaks Health Campus in Columbus. He was born in Shelbyville and was a 1972 graduate of Columbus North High School, attending every basketball game at North from 1963 to 2020. He also enjoyed coaching basketball and track.
He taught elementary school in the Southwestern School Corp., retired in 2007 after teaching for 31 years, and volunteered at Taylorsville Elementary from 2008 to 2020.
According to the memorandum, Roupp’s service to the school included reading with students, providing math tutoring, and supplying “regular and frequent donations” of school supplies and clothing for students alongside his church congregation.
“Mr. Roupp also fostered strong relationships with students in the classrooms in which he volunteered, and he was a positive male role model for many students during his time here at Taylorsville Elementary,” school officials wrote. “Mr. Roupp would frequently be observed talking with students about their emotions and how to better control them, walking with students, and supervising them as they took a break before returning to their learning tasks.”
He also built relationships with school staff and would leave notes and “small tokens of appreciation” to encourage them.
Roupp’s other work in the community included volunteering at Silver Oaks Health Care Center, serving on the board of directors for the German Township Fire Department and being the Old Union United Church of Christ representative for Love Chapel.
