For over three decades, Jana Vance has had the honor to work the Rochester Community School Corporation. Her journey began 32 years ago when, armed with an undergraduate degree and a dual license in Secondary English and special education, she stepped into a classroom to cover a temporary maternity leave. What started as a foot in the door quickly blossomed into a lifelong commitment. Jana in love with the district, the students, and the community and have been here since that first job opportunity.
What makes Rochester uniquely special to Jana is its rare ability to offer the best of both worlds. It is a district small enough to truly know and support each student as an individual, yet also has the ability to offer top-tier programs and services typically reserved for much larger corporations. Beyond the school walls, Jana highlights the area's extraordinary generosity. Throughout her career, she has never been turned down when reaching out for help. Whether requesting resources for a single student, a family, an employee, a program, or the district as a whole, the Rochester community always finds a way to support the request.
Jana has worked diligently to cultivate internal leadership, expand student programming, and build relationships with the community. This intentional focus on growth has come full circle: the majority of Rochester’s current administrative team and department leaders actually began their careers as classroom teachers within the district.
Jana’s team has expanded programming from sixteen specialized career pathways to sensory Easter egg hunts. “Last year we were able to graduate 100% of the senior class with no waivers needed and are on target to do the same again this year. I believe our programming speaks for itself in regards to the success our students have.”
For Jana, the most rewarding part of her job is knowing that the decisions she makes will support 1400 students and 300 staff members and have the potential of impacting the growth within our community, county, state and beyond. “It forces me to take pause at the magnitude of it all and make sure each decision represents what it is we are all trying to accomplish.”
Looking toward the future, Jana is focused on navigating the challenges of school funding and SEA1 legislation.Her primary goal is to protect the district's upward trajectory, “I want to make sure we continue on a trajectory in which we don’t have to cut programming and staff as that will only negatively impact students.”
Growth remains a priority, and Jana’s team is currently spearheading two major initiatives. With the active support of the Mayor and the local Parks Board, the district is working on a realistic plan to move all Athletics onto campus. Additionally, plans are underway to develop a community daycare center, which will simultaneously serve families and function as a hands-on training facility for students in the district's career pathways.
When she steps away from her administrative duties, Jana’s world revolves around family and a love for rescuing big dogs. She has been happily married to her husband, Doug, for 32 years, and together with their son, Dryden, they share a close bond built on family time. You can often find them out on the golf course, playing cards, or driving antique tractors.
When she isn't with her family, Jana channels her energy into her passion for animal rescue, specifically working with Saint Bernards and Great Pyrenees. Whether she is tending to her garden or unwinding with a good book in the backyard, her giant rescue pups are always close by—firmly believing they are “helping” her in her endeavors!
