School for the Blind names former board chair as superintendent

James Michaels

James Michaels, a longtime executive at Bosma Enterprises, has been appointed as the superintendent at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Monday.

Michaels will succeed James Durst, who is retiring Sept. 30 after 35 years in the position. Michaels served as chair of the school’s board of directors from 2020 to 2023.

For the past 22 years, Michaels has worked at Bosma Enterprises, a not-for-profit that provides jobs, education and services for people who are blind. As vice president of program services since 2013, Michaels has overseen Bosma’s vision rehabilitation and employment programs. He previously served as Bosma’s senior director of rehabilitation services and as a mental health counselor.

“James Michaels has spent his life in service to Hoosiers with disabilities,” Holcomb said in written remarks. “I know James will bring that dedication along with his decades of experience providing and leading human services to the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.”

Michaels is an alumnus, former employee and former board member Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, or ISBVI. Earlier in his career, Michaels held multiple student-serving roles at the Indiana School for the Deaf.

“I am so grateful to have the opportunity to return to the school that made such a difference in my life. As a former student and employee of the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, I have witnessed first-hand the life changing impact the school has on the students, parents, staff, and the community at-large,” Michaels said in written comments

Michaels completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work at Indiana University.

Founded in 1847, IBSVI is one of the largest state schools in the nation serving students who are blind or have low vision. It enrolls 110 students in preschool through high school, including about 40 residential students. The school, 7725 N. College Ave., also directly serves more than 300 students in 46 school districts.