COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (BCSC) announced on Tuesday that Columbus North High School (CNHS) Principal David Clark will retire, concluding a 42-year career in education, the last 23 years as CNHS principal.
Clark guided CNHS through a period of sustained academic achievement, cultural growth, and institutional transformation. Under his leadership, the high school earned recognition from The College Board for having among the highest percentages of students statewide to both take and pass an AP exam, and consistently posted SAT scores more than 50 points above state and national averages.
In 2023, the Indiana Department of Education presented the school with its Educational Excellence Award in College Readiness and a $250,000 grant, a nomination Clark himself co-authored.
"David Clark has been a cornerstone of Columbus North and this community," said Superintendent Chad Phillips. "His commitment to students, to staff, and to the 'Bull Dog Way' has shaped the lives of thousands of our community’s citizens who graduated from CNHS. We are grateful for everything he has given to BCSC in his incredible career."
His tenure also spanned a remarkable run of extracurricular excellence. Columbus North has accumulated 13 team IHSAA state championships, over 50 individual state championships, more than 50 final four appearances, and 18 Mental Attitude Award winners during his leadership, while the school's theater, music, and visual arts programs have performed at the highest levels statewide.
Beyond the building, Clark was a visible voice for students across Indiana. He testified before the Indiana House Education Committee in support of student press freedom, arguing that student journalists deserve the opportunity to learn responsible journalism in an environment of trust.
“I can not begin to share the blessing it has been to work for and with some of the greatest educators on Earth today,” Clark said. “Each year, when students graduate, I know they leave here standing a little taller, reaching a little further, and being a little better. There is great solace in that for me.”
A search for the next principal of Columbus North is already underway.
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