Phelps
HOPE — Former Bartholomew County clerk Jay Phelps is the newest member of the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Board representing the Flat Rock district.
Phelps will fill an empty school board seat formerly held by Chad Miller, who submitted his resignation which was acknowledged by the school board in January.
Phelps grew up in Bartholomew County, attending Hope Elementary and Hauser Jr-Sr High School. He said he gained so much from his time in Hope when he was younger.
“I experienced firsthand the value of a strong education and a close-knit school community,” Phelps said.
Though Phelps and his wife Emily moved to Columbus, they wanted all three of their children to have the same schooling experience from Flat Rock-Hawcreek.
“We made the intentional decision to enroll our children in Flat Rock-Hawcreek because we believe in the values of this school corporation, the benefits of smaller class sizes and the strength of the leadership and staff who support our children each day,” Phelps said in his letter of intent to seek the school board seat.
In 2024, the Phelps family sold their Columbus home and built a new home in the Flat Rock district.
“We chose to replant our roots here because we believe in this community and want to be part of its continued growth and success,” Phelps said.
The connection to Hope and Flat Rock-Hawcreek does not start with Jay — his family have been involved community members for generations. His grandmother, mother, father-in-law, aunt and uncle all also grew up in Hope and attended Flat Rock-Hawcreek schools. He said that his family still comes to cheer on the kids from the stands.
Outside of being a dedicated Hope resident, Phelps serves the whole state and country as the Director of the Electronic Supporting Technology and Evaluation Program for the United States Election Assistance Commission. Before that, he worked with the Indiana Secretary of State as Director of Modernization and Administration. Phelps got his start in government here in Bartholomew County and served as the county clerk from 2014-2021.
He told the current Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Board members that his experience in government and high-pressure career makes him a perfect candidate for the board. Phelps also said that his relationships made throughout Indiana can help bring attention to Flat Rock-Hawcreek schools when it comes to policy, legislation and choices that impact schools, staff and taxpayers.
Phelps was designated to fill Miller’s vacant seat at the Feb. 3 meeting and was officially sworn in as a member during the Feb. 17 meeting. Phelps said he intends to run for the seat on the board in the future.
