Rising Sun Superintendent follows passion of inspiring kids

(RISING SUN, Ind.) – There is no job too small for Rising Sun Superintendent Branden Roeder. 

That means sometimes putting on a hairnet or even driving a school bus! 

Roeder is a fourth-generation superintendent and grew up knowing his future was in education. 

He credits his grandfather, who also served as superintendent, for being one of his biggest mentors. 

“My number one passion is teaching and that is why I got into education, to work with kids and impact their lives for the better,” Roeder told The 812. 

Roeder has worked as a teacher, principal and even served as Rising Sun Mayor before accepting the superintendent position in 2014. 

“When I was teaching, I realized how much of an impact the superintendent makes on a bigger group of students, through generational change and organizational structure,” he said. 

There’s several initiatives that Roeder has overseen that have contributed to substantial student success, even after they graduate. 

Early College and Daycare

Roeder has led Rising Sun to becoming one of the best performing Early College high schools in the entire state. 

The Early College program allows students to earn dual credits as long as their prerequisites are met. It means students leave Rising Sun with not only a high school diploma but also an associates degree. 

Roeder says 25% to 27% of the student population every year earns an associates degree, which is believed to be highest in all of Indiana. 

It’s saving those graduating seniors a substantial amount of college expenses while also providing some unique incentives. 

“These kids are walking onto campus as juniors and getting Junior dorms, which are nicer than freshman dorms. There’s a lot of perks these graduating seniors are getting which we didn’t think about when we first launched it,” he said. 

The program has been so successful that Rising Sun was selected in 2025 to mentor three other school districts in Indiana to improve Early College rates for those schools. Read that story here.

Roeder also implemented a staff daycare program where faculty members can bring their kids to school. 

It allows teachers to breastfeed their newborns or be with their kids during prep periods.

“We have six-week-olds all the way to 4-year-old preschoolers,” he said.

That is one initiative that Roeder believes has contributed to a high retention rate among elementary staff. 

“We’ve only had one teacher at the elementary that has changed positions in five years, which is kind of unheard of,” he said. 

Impacting Lives

Branden can often be seen walking through school hallways where students give him fist bumps and high fives. 

Roeder can also be found on mornings before school playing basketball with students. He’s also served as a basketball coach and has also helped his wife coach middle school volleyball. 

Recently, one elementary student earned 800 Accelerated Reader points and had several prizes to choose from. The young boy chose the prize of getting lunch with Roeder. 

The superintendent and the student went to Jack’s Place where they Facetime’d the students mom, played Tick-Tac-To, and the student described his lunch as the “best burger ever.” 

A few years ago, Roeder was approached about being part of a fundraiser. 

It was called “Tape The Principal To The Wall” and Roeder was hesitant but volunteered for the assignment. 

“I didn’t think they were really going to tape me to the wall, but every kid placed a piece of tape and I ended up getting stuck up there for about a half hour. I still have students that come up and talk about that,” Roeder said. 

No Job Too Small

His job title is superintendent but he has held many different roles, sometimes to just help out a department that is short-staffed on a given day.

Roeder has assisted custodians when they needed an extra hand.

He sometimes can be found in the cafeteria when they need help serving food or cleaning dishes. 

One of his favorite ‘part-time’ roles is driving school buses! 

Roeder will occasionally take a route when a driver is needed, and those experiences have helped him shape important decisions during inclement weather days. 

During potential snow days, Roeder will drive around the county at 3 a.m. before he decides if school should be in session. 

“If I wouldn’t feel comfortable driving a bus that day, then I know that other people might not either,” he said. 

Roeder added, “We also have some new drivers and I would hate to put them on the road if they're not comfortable with the conditions,” Roeder said. 

Whether he is making a district-wide decision with the school board, or working a shift in the cafeteria, Roeder describes being Rising Sun’s superintendent as his dream job. 

“I was born and raised here and my kids go here. I want to provide the very best for every student,” he said.

Roeder admits that the superintendent position can get a little lonely at times.

“So to have the chance to help kids and get on a personal connection with them is huge for me, and that is truly my passion.” 

What Parents Say

Abby Fox is a parent of two elementary students and says Roeder is one of the biggest reasons she enrolled her kids at Rising Sun. 

Even prior to registering her kids, she was convinced that Roeder puts Rising Sun Schools first in his priorities. 

That became even more evident a few years ago when Fox approached Roeder about updating school cameras. 

“He was incredibly supportive and helped us at every point along the way,” Fox recalled. 

That camera initiative was called ‘One Sunny Day’ and it resulted in the community raising $45,000 to improve security. 

Fox says her experiences with Roeder has shown her that he is committed to the long0-term success of the school system.

“He is a strong community member who is also a great father, friend, and man of faith. Rising Sun is lucky to have him and his amazingly supportive wife, Tara,” she said.