Panthers Return Home | Kathleen (Koon) Chase
For Panther alumni who once roamed the hallways as students, the decision to return to Washington Township Schools as staff members is a full-circle moment in their personal and professional journeys.
Check out these Panthers who have returned home to Washington Township to make an impact in the very community that shaped their own academic and personal development.
Kathy Chase
Human Resources Coordinator of Washington Township Schools | North Central Class of 1985
How has Washington Township played a role in your life?
I attended Delaware Trails, Northview and graduated from NC in 1985. After graduating from Purdue, I took a position that moved me all over the country, never planning to, but ending up back in Indianapolis where I met my husband, Steve. After we had children, there was no question for me as to where they would attend school – Washington Township!
I was a stay-at-home mom until my youngest was in 4th grade at Spring Mill, when I took a job as the Clerical Assistant at Fox Hill in 2010. Both of my boys graduated from NC and I “graduated” from working in schools, moving over to the CEC in 2023 and into HR for the District.
If someone had told me when I was younger what a huge role Washington Township Schools would have in my future life as a student, mom, employee and community member, I wouldn’t have believed it. But I couldn’t be prouder.
What is different in WTS today? And what has stayed the same?
It’s hard for me to see what has changed in WT over the years, because I have seen most of the change firsthand. The new buildings, leadership, and vision for the future are so positive and student focused. The future looks amazingly bright.
What inspired you to return to work in Washington Township Schools?
I returned to work for WT because it was a good fit for my family at the time, and I had the connections at Fox Hill to get the position.
I stayed with WT because of how working here makes me feel. The feeling that we are making a difference in the lives of so many students every day is something you cannot get in any other job. I stay because I feel like I am part of the history of the District, and that my family is part of the future.
One of my most recent “favorite” memories is meeting with one of our Instructional Assistants to discuss her future career options and to talk about a project I did for her class in 1975. She is not only a retired Teacher turned Instructional Assistant; but she was also my 4th grade teacher at Delaware Trails. Not many jobs give you that kind of opportunity.
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