Teachers in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools district are receiving Reduction in Force (RIF) notices as the district adjusts staffing levels in response to declining enrollment and financial pressures tied to Indiana’s school funding formula.

In a message sent to parents, Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley confirmed that 18 teaching positions have been identified for contract cancellation through the RIF process. Those positions are concentrated at the K–6 level, where the district has seen a sustained drop in student enrollment, beginning with kindergarten.

Kegley said the district has been reviewing staffing and operational costs for much of the second semester, working to identify savings. Additional details on those reductions are expected to be presented at the May 13 school board meeting.

While 18 teachers are directly impacted by RIF notices, the broader staffing adjustments are more extensive. According to the superintendent, nearly 60 positions districtwide—about 4% of HSE’s teaching staff—are being adjusted when factoring in operational efficiencies and non-classroom roles.

“This aligns with the district’s enrollment decrease over the last three years, with further declines anticipated for the 2026–27 school year,” Kegley said in his message.

In a recent podcast interview with LarryInFishers, Kegley declined to specify the number of RIF notices at the time, but expressed optimism that many affected teachers could ultimately remain employed through retirements and resignations, a common occurrence in a district the size of HSE. The superintendent reiterated that possibility in his message to families, noting that teachers receiving RIF notices could be called back before the next school year if vacancies arise.

The process used to determine which teachers are subject to a RIF is largely governed by state law, not local policy.

Under Indiana Code 20-28-7.5-1(d), school districts must base layoff decisions primarily on teacher performance, rather than seniority.

That means the traditional “last hired, first fired” approach no longer applies in most cases.

State law requires:

• Performance to be the primary factor, using teacher evaluation ratings
• Seniority to play a secondary role, used only when teachers are rated equally
• Additional factors—such as experience, advanced degrees, instructional roles, and student needs—to be considered when teachers fall within the same performance category
• Formal evaluation systems to be in place and publicly posted
• Written RIF notices to be issued between May 1 and July 1, stating the reasons for the action

Teachers are evaluated annually and placed into one of four categories:

• Highly Effective
• Effective
• Improvement Necessary
• Ineffective

Those ratings determine the order in which positions are reduced, with lower-rated categories considered first.

There is a limited exception involving teachers who earned tenure prior to changes in state law more than a decade ago. In those cases, court rulings have found that stronger seniority protections may still apply.

Kegley acknowledged the impact of the reductions on staff and the broader community.

“I understand this news may raise questions and concerns for our families and staff,” he said. “These decisions directly affect important members of our school community and are not made lightly.”

He added that the district must align staffing levels with enrollment while maintaining financial stability and continuing to provide a high-quality education.

Bottom line: For most current Indiana teachers, RIF decisions are driven first by performance evaluations, not years of service. Seniority is considered only in limited circumstances.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Scott Fadness convened community leaders Monday morning to assess how the city can better guide residents to needed services.

The annual discussion, held at the Fishers Community Center, brought together city officials, Hamilton Southeastern Schools representatives, public safety leaders, mental health providers and members of the local faith community.

The Fishers Health Department outlined plans for a new program expected to launch by the end of 2026. The initiative would create a central access point at the Community Center where residents can explain their needs and receive guidance on where to seek appropriate mental health services.

Fadness said the recently opened Community Center is already playing a role in addressing social isolation, particularly among older residents — a factor that can contribute to mental health challenges.

The mayor also pointed to an emerging issue involving young children. Some child care providers are removing children with behavioral challenges, leaving working parents without care options. The proposed referral system is intended to help connect those families with appropriate services.

Fadness expressed optimism about the city’s broader mental health efforts, which began more than a decade ago.

“I think we’re in a really good spot right now in our community,” the mayor said. “I’m really proud of programmatic elements that have been done to date.”

The session concluded with an open discussion among participants, with the mayor encouraging continued collaboration to address the community’s mental health needs.

Injuries and player call-ups to the American Hockey League took a heavy toll on the Indy Fuel throughout the 2025-2026 season, forcing younger and less experienced players into key roles down the stretch. That group managed to push the team into the playoffs in the final days of the regular season, but the uphill climb proved too steep in the postseason.

The Fuel’s season came to an end Sunday night with a 4-0 loss to the Fort Wayne Komets in Game 5 of their opening-round series in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Komets take the best-of-seven series four games to one and advance to the next round.

Facing elimination on the road, Indy showed early signs of life despite falling behind. After earning the game’s first power play midway through the opening period, the Fuel generated pressure and outshot Fort Wayne 12-6 in the first 20 minutes. But it was the Komets who capitalized, with Logan Nelson scoring late in the period to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

The Fuel appeared poised to respond early in the second period with a carryover power play, but a penalty just 32 seconds into the frame wiped out the opportunity. Both teams traded chances the rest of the period, and after 40 minutes the shots were even at 19-19, with Fort Wayne still holding a one-goal advantage.

The game turned quickly in the third period.

Komets captain Alex Aleardi extended the lead to 2-0 just five minutes into the final frame. Less than three minutes later, William Dufour added another goal to make it 3-0. A flurry of penalties followed, including a brief stretch of four-on-four play and multiple roughing calls, as tempers flared between the division rivals.

Fort Wayne added a power play goal by Matt Miller during the sequence to push the margin to 4-0, effectively putting the game out of reach.

The physical play escalated late, highlighted by a line brawl that resulted in several penalties and misconducts on both sides. Despite continuing to press offensively, the Fuel could not solve the Komets’ defense and goaltending down the stretch.

Indy finished with a slight edge in shots, 29-28, but could not find the back of the net.

With the win, Fort Wayne advances to likely face the Toledo Walleye in the next round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.  As of this writing, Toledo has a 3-0 game lead in their series with the Bloomington Bison.

For the Fuel, the loss closes a season defined by adversity — one in which roster disruptions forced a younger lineup to grow quickly and ultimately fight its way into the postseason.

Fishers is moving ahead with a major reconstruction of one of the city’s more confusing traffic points — the roundabout at Olio Road, Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street near I-69.  I have received many questions from readers of this Web site asking for more details of how this area will change once construction is completed.

I have requested more details from the city.  Until I receive a response to that request, here is what I know at this point.

The Board of Public Works and Safety last Tuesday approved a $6.7 million bid from E&B Paving for the project. Construction is expected to begin in May and be completed by November.

Based on public bid listings and prior city budget discussions, the work will reconfigure the existing five-leg roundabout into a more conventional four-leg, multi-lane roundabout. The current design brings together Olio Road, Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street in a way many motorists have found difficult to navigate.

City Engineering Director Hatem Mekky described the plan during 2026 budget discussions last year, saying the project would eliminate one connection, create a “tear-drop” design at 136th Street and add a traffic signal on Olio Road north of the roundabout. Mekky said the goal was to “clean up that area” and make it easier for drivers to move through.

The project includes that new traffic signal on Olio Road for motorists coming south over the I-69 bridge. City Project Engineer Tami Houston told the Board of Works the city hopes to keep most of the roundabout open during construction, although some detours will be needed.

Public bid information describes the work as an intersection improvement at Olio Road, Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street. The bid package includes major pavement and curb work, including more than 7,000 cubic yards of excavation and more than 8,200 linear feet of concrete curb removal.

The city’s bid posting listed the project through QuestCDN under the title “Olio and Southeastern Roundabout,” with bid documents posted in April and a mandatory pre-bid meeting held April 16.

The city has said about $2.9 million will come from the Metropolitan Planning Organization, with Fishers covering the rest. The project is also listed in INDOT’s State Transportation Improvement Program as a Fishers intersection improvement at Southeastern Parkway and Olio Road, with construction planned in fiscal year 2026.

The city has not yet released a detailed public diagram showing the final traffic pattern. Based on available public descriptions, the biggest change for drivers will be the removal of the current five-point configuration, a more standard roundabout layout and a signalized traffic movement on Olio Road near the I-69 interchange.

The matchup between the Fishers Freight and Green Bay Blizzard drew league-wide attention Saturday night, with both teams entering the contest at 5-1 and tied atop the Eastern Conference.

In a game that lived up to expectations, it was Green Bay that came out on top 57-52, pulling away late for a hard-fought victory that was not decided until the final minute.

Fishers held a slim 30-23 lead at halftime in a back-and-forth contest featuring two of the league’s most explosive offenses. Defensive plays proved just as critical, with fourth-down stops and timely fumble recoveries helping keep the game tight throughout.

Green Bay overcame adversity, including the loss of starting running back Demilon Brown, who was ejected after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

An unusual moment occurred during the game when the referee called a media timeout without direction from the television crew. That led to a lengthy sideline discussion with broadcaster Tom Johnston, who then spent the remainder of the game positioned near the team benches.

The decisive sequence came in the final minutes. With less than three minutes remaining, Fishers quarterback Felix Harper lost a fumble that the Blizzard recovered. Green Bay capitalized quickly, as quarterback Liam Thompson scored on a four-yard run to give his team the lead.

The Freight answered with a four-yard touchdown pass from Harper to CJ Windham, but Green Bay recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the victory.

Running back Josiah King returned to action after missing time with an injury and rushed for 90 yards before leaving the game early, appearing to aggravate the same issue.

The loss drops Fishers to 5-2 on the season. The Freight will travel to face the Orlando Pirates on May 9.