By Victoria Arthur
Statehouse Correspondent for Indiana’s Catholic Newspapers
Following a history-making tenure as the voice of Indiana’s non-public schools, John Elcesser announced he will retire in June 2025 — after one more legislative session, which he and other advocates hope will result in the passage of universal school choice for Indiana families.
Elcesser, who has served as executive director of the Indiana Non-Public Education Association (INPEA) for nearly two decades, said he based his decision on careful discernment and a desire to give his organization’s board of directors ample time to search for his successor.
“I’ve always believed that leadership is for a season,” said Elcesser, a former Catholic school principal and superintendent. “You bring your gifts and your skills to an organization and do the very best you can to leave it better than when you arrived. But then there’s a time for a new vision and new eyes and a new skill set, and it just seemed like this was the right time.”
In recognition of his influence and impact on education statewide, Elcesser received Indiana’s highest honor — the Sagamore of the Wabash — at an INPEA event on Sept. 26.
“John has been a champion of non-public schools across our state,” said Michelle Priar, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Evansville and president of the INPEA board. “I’m so grateful for his dedication to INPEA and for advocating for families and children for so many years.”
Along with his predecessor, Glenn Tebbe, who went on to lead the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) for 16 years, Elcesser became a key player in the movement for school choice in Indiana.
In 2009, the INPEA and the ICC were among the advocacy groups instrumental in the Indiana General Assembly’s passage of the Scholarship Tax Credit program, which built momentum for the major school choice legislation that would follow two years later. When the Choice Scholarship Program, more commonly known as the voucher program, was signed into law by then-Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2011, Indiana claimed the most comprehensive school choice program in the nation.
Since then, the program has expanded further thanks to the advocacy efforts of the INPEA and others, culminating in the state legislature’s passage of near-universal school choice in Indiana in 2023. Today, 97 percent of Indiana families are eligible to send their children to the school they believe is the right fit for them.
“Undoubtedly our vision is to attain universal school choice for Indiana,” Elcesser said. “A significant part of my timing (for retirement) was making sure that I could be here for the 2025 legislative session, to continue the journey that we started in 2009 and even way before that.
“Our goals early on were to ensure that people who could not afford school choice could afford it, and we accomplished that. But now, other families are asking why they can’t use a very small percentage of their tax dollars to be able to exercise private school choice without some major sacrifice in their life.”
Elcesser’s vast experience and ability to connect with school administrators, advocates and lawmakers will make finding his successor a challenging task, according to Priar, who is leading the search committee for the new INPEA executive director.
“John has made an extraordinary impact on so many levels,” Priar said. “We will certainly miss John once his official retirement date rolls around, but he has left a legacy that will most definitely carry on for many years to come.”
The INPEA, marking its 50th anniversary this year, represents the state’s more than 400 non-public schools, including Indiana’s 175 Catholic schools. Encompassing faith-based and independent schools, the organization advocates for non-public schools at the General Assembly, the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana State Board of Education.
One of INPEA’s core messages is that school choice should not and does not come at the expense of public schools, which continue to receive the vast majority of state education funding and are vital to society. Colleagues say that Elcesser has been particularly effective at conveying that message and, in so doing, gaining respect and trust from educators at all levels throughout the state.
“John has always done a great job of helping people understand that school choice is about each individual child and family selecting the educational environment that is right for them and having the state support that,” said James McNeany, principal of Guerin Catholic High School in Noblesville and a member of the INPEA board. “Even though John advocates for non-public schools, he never does it in a way that demeans public schools. John is about educating every child in Indiana, even those who are in schools that he does not represent from an INPEA perspective.
“From the Department of Education to the state legislature, people respect John’s opinion because they know it’s coming from a place of care for educating all students.”
Kyle Weener, who was only 27 when he became an Indiana non-public school administrator, echoed those thoughts.
“John has such a heart for children and for schools,” Weener said. “He also has an incredible ability to help align the resources that will make each and every non-public school be the best it can be. It has been an honor to work alongside him.”
Now, the INPEA is preparing not only for a transition to a new leader but potentially a new focus if universal school choice is adopted in the 2025 legislative session.
“This new person is going to step into the role at a unique time, with a new chapter to write,” said Andrea Anderson, communications and member relations director for the INPEA. “It will be critical for the new leader to steer us and chart a course for us for the next many years, hopefully in a post-universal school choice landscape.
“Universal school choice is what we’re all working towards. It motivates us all to work extra hard — obviously for all the families of Indiana — but also to get this done for John.”
To learn more about INPEA, visit www.inpea.org. For more information on the INPEA executive director job, contact [email protected].