If you are the parent of an 8th Grade student in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School
Corporation, you will soon be receiving information about a new appeals process to switch high school assignments.  Normally, your student would start high school in August of next year based on the district in which you live, according to lines drawn many years ago.

Under a new policy enacted by the HSE School Board at the October 12th session, your 8th grade student will be allowed to file an appeal to attend the other high school.  For example, if your family lives within the district boundaries of HSE High School, and you child wants to attend Fishers High, the appeal can be filed.  Whether the appeal will be granted or denied will depend on when the appeal was filed (earlier the better) and whether the enrollments of the two district high schools stay within 5% of each other.

This application process will only require the student to list a home address.  No reasons need be given as to why the family wishes to attend the other high school.

This program replaces the re-balancing program used the past few years.  School officials say the new appeals program will be a one-year test and will be evaluated before a decision is made on whether it will continue.

In other school board news from the October 12th Session:

–HSE Schools Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter gave an overview of the 2016 budget.  Matt Stolle, an unsuccessful candidate for HSE School Board in the last election cycle, was the only one to speak at the public hearing.  Stolle asked board members to pay attention to class sizes, particularly in the elementary buildings.  School officials responded that they are working on more Instructional Assistants to assist teachers will large elementary classes.  The board must approve the 2016 budget by November 1 and will take that final vote at the next regular board session.

–Superintendent Allen Bourff told the board the City of Fishers has offered to pay the cost of installing trees at Lantern Road Elementary School to give more separation from Interstate 69, with the coming construction of a new interchange on 106th Street.  The trees could cost up to $40,000.  This is to address some concerns voiced by parents with children at Lantern Road Elementary.

–The board voted to increase the pay of substitute teachers.  The proposal would increase HSE’s daily substitute rate from $65.00 per day to $70.00 dollars per day and would increase permanent substitute pay from $75.00 per day to $80.00 per day.  Some substitute teachers are permanent employees and work every school day.

–School administrators asked board members to consider changing the schedule of regular board meeting nights from Mondays to Wednesdays next year when the board reorganizes in January 2016.  No decision was made.

–Superintendent Bourff updated the board on what he has been hearing on his listening tour of schools, which will soon be expanded to community groups outside the schools themselves.  Here are some of the concerns he has heard, from his presentation to the board:

• Affirmation ‐ World Languages

• Personal Costs inTaxes

• Technology

• Future Building Needs

• Redistricting

• ENL (English as a new language) IAs (Convert to Teachers)

• Future of IA’s

• Substitute Teacher Shortage

• Building Cleanliness

• Fees (Textbook, technology, supplies, etc.)

• Pay to play

• Class size

• Taxes

• Sure that’s enough?

• Both Assistant Principals &TDS

• School security?