School will be in session this week as summer break comes to an end for students and staff of the Hamilton Southeastern School District.  Plus, the school board will be discussing some major issues in its meeting this week.

First, school starts Wednesday, and the Fishers Police Department offers these reminders on school safety:

• Be prepared for a longer commute. School buses and teenage drivers will add to the traffic congestion in the mornings and afternoons.
• Expect the unexpected. Watch for slowing or stopped traffic and the possibility of children darting out into the street.
• Be patient and observe the law when approaching or following a school bus.Be very aware of intersections where children are waiting for the bus.

• Be mindful of reduced speed limits in designated school zones.Police officers will provide increased patrols in neighborhoods and school zones. Officers in marked and unmarked police cars will be enforcing school bus stop arm violations and speeding in school zones.Residents should report suspicious activity and dangerous drivers by calling the Hamilton County Dispatch Center at 911 or 317-773-1282.

You may see some flashing lights on signs in school zones.  This is a project the City of Fishers has been working on for several months.  When you enter a school zone, you must observe the lower school speed limit when the lights are flashing.  The city waited until federal funds were available to install the school speed limit signs with flashing lights during school hours.

The school board will hear from Dr. Bill Carnes about redistricting.  You may recall Dr. Carnes was the acting school superintendent after Brian Smith left to lead the Indiana School Boards Association as the school board went through the process of hiring Dr. Allen Bourff, our current superintendent.  Dr. Carnes will lay out the plan to redistrict later this year in planning for the new elementary school under construction along Southeastern Parkway.  No action is expected by the board, but Dr. Carnes presentation should provide a time line on how this will all be done.

Fishers High School Vice Principal Ryan Taylor is taking over as the administration point person on the district’s school safety program.  Mike Beresford had that responsibility before moving on as Carmel Schools Superintendent.  Taylor will talk with the board about security plans for the school year.

Matt Kegley, until recently HSE High School Principal and now Director for Secondary Education in the school district’s central office, along with Danielle Chastain, Riverside Intermediate School Principal, will brief the board on the Teacher Development System.

And, last but not least, the HSE High School State Champion Girls’ Track Team will be honored by the board.

The school administration building is still under renovation, so the board meeting will be held at Riverside Intermediate School, 11014 Eller Road, starting at 7:00pm