The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board appointed Clint Wilson Wednesday night to fill the remaining term of Mike Bottorf, through December 31, 2020.  Wilson was approved by a vote of 5-0.

Board member Janet Pritchett chose to abstain, saying she has nothing against Wilson, but abstained out of “principle.”  After the board meeting, Pritchett chose not elaborate on what she meant by “principle,” but may say more later.

Wilson will be sworn-in as a member of the school board at the July 10th meeting.  Former Board President Bottorff announced his resignation from the board in late May.

There were 24 applications filed to replace Bottorff, and the board named four finalists that were publicly interviewed June 18th.  The other three finalists were Travis Brown, Peter Griffin and Jeff Lantzer.

During his public interview, Wilson told board members he has three children, with two enrolled in HSE Schools.  His family moved to Fishers six years ago.

He is an agent with State Farm Insurance.

Wilson’s involvement as a volunteer for the Youth Mentoring Initiative and participation in the Finance Academy motivated him to seek this board seat, he said during the interview session.  He has observed many of the challenges students face in school these days.

As an insurance agent, Wilson collaborated with other agents to establish programs bringing potential clients into the office to discuss what is needed in each individual case.

Even with the many positive parents in the HSE Schools, Wilson said students face challenges in dealing with social media.  He has found that students learn much differently compared to when Wilson was in school.  He says critical thinking is very important for students to learn.

The board seat Wilson assumes will be up for election in November, 2020.