Center Grove superintendent retires amid investigation into alleged wrongdoing

Center Grove Community Schools Superintendent Richard Arkanoff retired abruptly from his post last week amid an investigation by the district's school board into his potential wrongdoing.

The board is working with Indiana State Police and the State Board of Accounts to look into inconsistencies with Arkanoff's time off and reimbursement tracking. The investigation is "very early in the process," the school board wrote in a statement last Friday.

Arkanoff filed for retirement Friday, the same day the district's statement was released. He could not be reached for comment.

In a statement, the board said it would not comment further during the ongoing investigation.

IndyStar reached out to the Indiana State Board of Accounts and Indiana State Police about Arkanoff.

Both agencies declined to provide further information.

ISP does not "identify a person who is the target of an investigation or the suspect of a crime until charges are filed or an arrest is made," Sgt. John Perrine wrote in an email.

As of Monday, no charges appear to have been filed against Arkanoff, according to Indiana's courts search.

An SBOA official said in an email the agency is conducting a special examination at Center Grove Community Schools but declined to share details of that investigation until a final report is issued.

"We have no reason to believe the scope of this investigation will extend beyond the superintendent’s personal time off and reimbursements," the school board's statement reads.

The school board will vote to appoint Bill Long, the district's assistant superintendent, as interim superintendent, according to the statement. Long, who began his new role Monday, started at the district in 1998.

The board did not state when that vote will take place but they meet Wednesday publicly and behind closed doors for an executive session to "discuss a job performance evaluation of individual employees."

Rachel Fradette is a suburban education reporter at IndyStar. Contact her at rfradette@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @Rachel_Fradette.