Clint Wilson began his journey as a newly-appointed member of the Hamilton Southeastern School Board when officially named to replace Mike Bottorff, who resigned his board seat, in late June.  When I recorded a podcast with the new school board member early in July, he talked about his 90-day plan to begin to familiarize himself with the facilities, finances and people that make up the school district.

I recently asked Clint Wilson to tell me what he discovered during his 90-day journey of the HSE school system.  First, he says 90 days will not be long enough, so Wilson has extended his 90-plan to encompass the entire remaining school year.

Second, the school board member has learned a great deal during his relatively short stint on the board.  In an e-mail message to LarryInFishers, Mr. Wilson explains what he has learned so far.

He has visited about half the school buildings in the district, but started with Durbin and Fishers Elementary Schools, since decisions were looming on both buildings.  The board has since moved toward a possible replacement for Durbin, a new large elementary building in Wayne Township.  Commenting on the two elementary facilities, Wilson says “there are some real challenges that exist in both buildings due to the age and layout.”

Next, he spent time getting to know people throughout the district, including those working the school district’s central office.  That includes the superintendent, financial staff, analytics and equity. Getting to know his fellow school board members also became a part of that effort.   “It was incredibly helpful to get to know them on a more personal level, to understand their background, their goals for our schools, and gain clarity about how we can best work together,” said Wilson in his e-mail.

Finally, Wilson took some time with students, particularly a group at HSE High School.  He commented on a presentation made by a multiracial group in an AP (advanced placement) class about such classes not tending to be diverse.

“Several black students shared that they had not been encouraged to take tougher classes, while a white student shared they had been encouraged to take AP classes,” Wilson wrote in the e-mail message to LarryInFishers. “In addition to the panorama (analytic) data highlighting the achievement gap between black students and other races, this conversation made it clear to me there is an opportunity to make sure that all students of all races are afforded the best opportunities in our schools.”

Summing up his overall impressions, Wilson lauded local educators.  “We are fortunate to live in a community with great schools. We are also fortunate to live in a community with passionate parents who hold us accountable to doing what’s best for all kids,” Wilson said.