Frontier hires athletic director, football coach

Jones

CHALMERS – Frontier School Corporation has a new dean of students, athletic director, and varsity football coach.

On Monday, Jan. 31, the corporation approved the hiring of Raymond Jones to fill the positions left void by the resignation of Troy Burgess, who left the corporation in January to return home to South Putnam to be closer to his family.

Jones is coming to Falcon territory from Clinton Prairie High School where he has served as a physical education teacher and varsity football and track coach for the last four years. During the 2021 football season, Jones led Clinton Prairie to a 6-5 record.

Jones said he is excited about joining the Frontier staff and students, saying the community was one thing that drew him to apply for the position.

“Whenever I have crossed paths with Frontier’s coaches and athletes I have always come away with a positive feeling, no matter the contest,” Jones said. “The community feel was really one of the selling points for the position, as well as being able to advance my career as the dean of students and moving into an athletic director role.”

A 2014 graduate of Ball State University with a degree in special education, Jones worked for four years as a special education teacher at Fountain Central High School prior to Clinton Prairie. While at Fountain Central, he served three years as the varsity football and track coach.

“I am looking forward to being able to work with multisport athletes and help young people to develop athletically,” he said. “As the dean of students, I will be working with attendance, student discipline, and helping teachers in the classroom.”

Jones said he has already been looking ahead to the 2022 football season.

“I was excited looking into the returning players,” he said. “We had about 15 athletes show up (to the school board meeting) and it was nice getting to meet them.”

Jones and his wife, Shelbie, live outside of Lafayette. Shelbie has worked as a seventh-grade math teacher in Lafayette for eight years, he said. She has also coached basketball at the junior high level. The couple has a Cavachon dog named Rumba.

Jones said he is hoping to begin his new position as soon as possible but expects it will be closer to March 1.

“My wife and I are excited for this journey,” he said. “I can’t wait to get to work in the community with the teachers, students, and coaches at Frontier.”