The Board of School Trustees of the Merrillville Community School Corporation announced the hiring of Mrs. LaFonda D. Morris as the new principal of Clifford Pierce Middle School. Mrs. Morris will begin her new position on July 1, 2019 and stated, “I firmly believe that a community is only as good as its school system; because Merrillville has a great school system, Merrillville is also a great place to live. CPMS is a building with a great staff and a lot of great things taking place within the building. I have a duty to the students, parents, staff and community to make sure that Pierce’s greatness is shared throughout the community.”
Mrs. Morris is currently the Associate Principal at Merrillville Intermediate School. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Northwest campus. Mrs. Morris brings extensive experience as an administrator for the Merrillville Community School Corporation. Mrs. Morris began her career in Merrillville as a teacher at Harrison Middle School in 1999. She continued teaching for the next six years before branching out into administrative roles. In 2005, Mrs. Morris began her administrative tenure at Merrillville High School as an assistant principal where she remained for eleven years. In 2016, Mrs. Morris was named Associate Principal at Merrillville Intermediate School. Mrs. Morris has exemplified dedication, commitment and service to the Merrillville Community School Corporation for twenty years.
Mrs. Morris holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Purdue University, a Master’s Degree from Indiana University, an administrative license from Indiana University and finally her superintendent’s license from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Mrs. Morris is married to Randy Morris, who serves as an East Chicago Police Officer. She has one son, Jimmy Jones, Jr. (Christina). She is the proud grandmother of four who include: Romel Echarry (2018 MHS graduate), Reece Echarry (2021), Jisele Jones (2026) and Aubrie Jones (3 years old).
The Merrillville Community School Corporation looks forward to Mrs. Morris leadership at Pierce Middle School. Distinguishing herself amongst a competitive field of applicants, Mrs. Morris brought to the process a wealth of experience in administrative roles and a broad knowledge of school leadership. Superintendent, Nick Brown states, “I am excited to recommend Mrs. Morris as the principal of Pierce Middle School. She starts the position with successful experiences at the high school and the intermediate school levels. She understands where the students are coming from and where they will be going as well as how to help them be successful. Mrs. Morris has had a positive impact on each building where she has been a part of the administrative team. Mrs. Morris has exhibited the leadership skills to continue to support the successes at Pierce Middle School.”