FAQs

The Premier Arts Academy is in the process of hiring additional teachers and staff for 2024-25. Click here for the full directory of faculty and staff.  We do have our administrative team identified.  There names, position,  and short biographies are below:

Ashley Molyneaux, Head of School

Ashley is an enthusiastic educational leader with more than a dozen years of experience in teaching, administration, and in creating high-impact educational programs. Through her professional experience, she has demonstrated her capacity as a leader, the ability to motivate faculty in the pursuit of increased achievement, and has collaborated to build a student-centered culture of learning. Ashley co-founded and led the Elkhart Education Foundation to be named the #1 non-profit in Elkhart County due to the foundation’s exponential growth and positive impact on the local school district. Ashley will serve as the instructional leader for the Premier Arts Academy.

Craig Gibson, Executive Artistic Director

Founding Executive Director of the internationally recognized Premier Arts theater organization, Craig Gibson is a Muncie Indiana native who now proudly calls Elkhart home. He is an award-winning actor, director and writer who has given the gift of theater to our region for more than fifteen years. Showcasing local talent and sharing powerful stories on the stage is his passion. Children’s programming is an important hallmark of his work. Craig is also known for inspiring the next generation of theater lovers by investing in young people through arts appreciation programming. Craig will serve as the artistic leader for the Premier Arts Academy.

Kurt Weimer, Director of Operations

Kurt Weimer is an award-winning band director and veteran music educator. As the music department chair, he ushered his faculty members through new school-wide initiatives, advances in technology, the merger of two high schools into one, as well as playing an integral role in the design and oversight of a new state-of-the-art music instruction facility. He served on the Indiana State School Music Association board of directors for six years as well as committees that redefined the rubrics used for ISSMA ensemble performance evaluations. Kurt retired from teaching in 2021 to focus on honing his project management skills and working with the PA academy design team. Kurt’s role as Director of Operations will put him in charge of school logistics and facilities. His education background will allow for a deepened understanding of how operations can support the teaching and learning at Premier Arts Academy.

Tanner Smale, Director of Communications and Recruitment

It is important to have a plan for effective communication and student recruitment, and Tanner Smale is perfectly suited for this role. Tanner has served as the Director of Marketing and Communications for Premier Arts for five years. His enthusiasm for the arts and his energy is contagious. He will be an effective ambassador to inform prospective families about the PA Academy. His role will focus on all aspects of school communication for both current families, prospective students, and the wider community including but not limited to the website, social media, e-newsletters, and open house events.

Stephanie Krol, Communications Specialist

Stephanie Krol is passionate about using her public relations superpowers for good. She founded SKPR in 2006, bringing her global agency experience to her own public relations practice focusing on helping organizations tell their stories. Stephanie’s background includes a successful career with top agencies including Edelman, the largest independent public relations firm in the world, Matrix Partners and Public Communications Inc. She has a proven track record of helping nonprofits successfully launch fundraising campaigns, rebuild their reputations and tell their stories to meet and exceed their goals and ultimately expand community services.

A charter school is a public school that operates under a contract, or charter, entered into between the school’s organizer and a charter school authorizer (sometimes referred to as a charter school “sponsor”). Under Indiana Code § 20-24, charter schools are established to serve the different learning styles and needs of public school students, to offer them appropriate and innovative choices, to afford varied opportunities for professional educators, to allow freedom and flexibility in exchange for exceptional levels of accountability, and to provide parents, students, community members, and local entities with an expanded opportunity for involvement in the public school system.Like traditional public schools, charter public schools must have open enrollment policies, may not charge tuition, and cannot discriminate based on disability, race, color, gender, national origin, religion, or ancestry.