Tomorrow (Monday, August 3rd) Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District teachers will report for the new school year.  Students will start classes Thursday, August 6th.

It will be a start of school like no other in memory.  Students will not be reporting to their buildings and classrooms, but will start the school year, for at least roughly the first four weeks, virtually.  HSE Superintendent Allen Bourff told me in a recent podcast interview that this virtual learning will look nothing like the virtual learning experienced at the end of last school year.  He promises more academic rigor this time.

School officials will consult with the Fishers Health Department,  as well as state health experts and the CDC,  on when a return to the traditional classroom model can safely resume.  But for now, the local COVID-19 infection rate has led HSE administrators to begin the school year virtually.

It should be noted that teachers will be able to do their virtual instruction from their classrooms, which will be a big step forward, compared to the last few weeks of the previous school year when teachers and students were both at home.

The HSE administration has made it clear bringing students and teachers back into the buildings is the best method to educate students, but made a very tough call when confronted with a number of “what if” scenarios on how the school district would handle a number of specific situations.  Remember, HSE is the 4th-largest school district in the state and must be prepared for any eventuality.

I have been saddened by a number of comments posted on social media about our teaching staff at HSE.  Let’s remember that one of the biggest factors fueling the growth of Fishers is the HSE School Corporation.  Just ask any real estate agent and each will tell you that the quality of local schools attracts families to our city and our area.

The reputation of the HSE school system is based largely on the quality of our classroom teachers.  Our administrators, food service staff, bus drivers and many others all contribute to this, but without a high-quality teaching staff, HSE would not have earned and maintained its stellar reputation.

There is a teacher shortage, based on all my conversations with school administrators.  HSE is not the highest-paying school district in the area, but is competitive because Fishers is a strong community and that attracts teachers.

But I would caution those complaining about benefits teachers are receiving locally – think about how HSE is trying to be a good employer to attract and retain the best teachers.  There are plenty of private-sector operations enhancing benefits during this time of stress for their employees.

So, allow me to be clear.  I support HSE teachers and any provisions to help their families during this difficult time.

For full disclosure, I have many teachers in my family.  But even if I did not, I would feel the same.

Let’s support our teaching staff at HSE and this school district will retain its top-notch standing.

(Editor’s Note:  The original story said the first day of school is Wednesday, August 5th….used the original calendar which was changed to deal with COVID-19….the dates have been corrected)