Purdue Extension outlines a regional shift and a large contractual-services increase

Veronica Bullock, Purdue Extension’s Franklin County educator, and Christopher Fogle, the new regional operations leader, described a statewide reorganization that will move Purdue Extension from a county-based model to a 12-region approach. “Purdue Extension is undergoing a transformation. We're moving from a county based system to a regional model,” Bullock said, and Fogle explained that the county’s contractual-services request will be computed on a population-based formula and is projected to increase from roughly $53,500 to $100,000.

They said 4-H will retain a county presence, local educators such as Veronica and Elizabeth will continue to serve Franklin County, and some county-covered items (educator mileage, laptops, some tech contracts) will be absorbed into the new contractual-services line. Commissioners asked whether the change would remove local educators; Fogle said the goal is to maintain local service while enabling specialists to circulate across counties to meet specialty needs (for example, mental-health or farm-stress programs).