As a life-long resident of BCSC, Dr. DeC\ue graduated from Columbus High School. Keeping with family tradition, she pursued an elementary education degree at St. Mary of the Woods College, Terre Haute, IN. She began her career as a teacher at Hope Elementary. With a mission to serve and a desire to make a bigger difference, she became a full-time doctoral student at Indiana University. Upon earning her degree, she became an elementary principal in Lebanon , IN. In the early l990's, Linda was recruited back to her hometown where she served as principal at Clifty Creek Elementary. Recognizing her central office potential, BCSC School Superintendent, Dr. Snider, appointed her as Director of Community Outreach. From there, she was promoted to Assistant Superintendent for K-12 Curriculum. In 2004, she was appointed to the position that was truly her professional match, Associate Superintendent for Human Resources.

With 2,000 full and part-time employees across 10 townships and 20 campuses, Linda was the HR leader of the second largest employer in the county. Her temperament and a tireless work ethic made Dr. DeClue the "right arm" to the school superintendent for more than a decade. Her empathy and fairness earned her the respect of stakeholders across the school/community. With a broad understanding of the complexities of school personnel and the budgetary processes, Linda never reduced the force of an employee due to monetary reasons. Being the 12th largest school district in the state, this was admirable. Similar sized districts reduced teachers by an average of 100 after the crash of 2008.

Two of her more challenging duties were negotiations and student expulsion hearings. With grace and dignity, she led countless processes without the emotional turmoil usually associated with those tough functions. In the rare case when an employee needed to be disciplined or terminated, Linda was non-judgmental and deescalated tense situations.

From the time that Linda began her career in education and through her years working in an administrative capacity, her overarching goal was always doing what was best for all students. This meant that Linda worked to hire and retain the best teachers possible and to work with other leaders in our community to assure that the school community was supported and appreciated. Her work with curriculum centered on helping educators in BCSC understand instructional strategies that were research-based and proven to be effective in helping all students reach their learning potential. Throughout her various positions working at BCSC, Linda never lost sight that all that she did was for the students that the district serves.

Linda is most deserving of the BCSC Hall of Fame Award because of her contributions to both the school and the local community. Her commitment to the students of BCSC by ensuring that our school community is an exceptional place for all students to reach their potential, leaving our schools ready for whatever path they choose in life, is worthy of recognition.

Contributions to the School and Community

• Principal of Clifty Creek Elementary School
• Director of Community Outreach
• Assistant Superintendent for K-12 Curriculum
• Associate Superintendent for Human Resources
• Chamber of Commerce Board Member
• Architectural Tour Guide
• Architectural Tour Bus Driver
• Homeowners' Association Board Member
• BCSF Board Member
• United Way of Bartholomew County Board Member, Past President
• Led BCSC's United Way campaign for years
• Chair for United Way campaign following the flood of 2008
• Developed INTASS evaluation tools for all BCSC employees that earned exemplary state status
• Chair of the Women in Leadership Lunch
• Active member of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church