A fourth candidate has filed for the Fall Creek Township at-large seat on the Hamilton Southeastern School Board.  Matt Stolle, an unsuccessful candidate for the school board in a 2014 district race, is making another run at it.  Stolle joins incumbent Clint Wilson, Suzanne Thomas and Chauna Leigh Holder as Fall Creek Township school board candidates.

It is not often that Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board meetings exceed three hours in length, but that is what happened Wednesday night.  If you want to review the entire video of the meeting (it is mostly audio) prepare to spend three-and-a-half hours on the project.  You can access the meeting video at this link.

The board was briefed on a switch from a 4-phase plan to move from virtual to in-person classes to a 3-phase plan.  You can review the details at this link.

The hope is that HSE Schools will move from the current Phase 1 to Phase 2 after Labor Day.  School officials say families will have at least 2-weeks notice before Phase 2 would be effective.

Phase 2 would call for a 50-50 schedule, meaning students would spend half of their time in the school building and half in virtual learning.  The current idea would have a student spend 3 days in class one week and 2 days in class the other week.

Superintendent Allen Bourff said he must discuss the new plan with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) for the teachers perspective, which is a requirement under state law.  That meeting was scheduled for Thursday, August 13th.

The public is allowed to speak on an agenda item, and discussion of the COVID-19 plans was on the Wednesday agenda.  Ten speakers voiced their view that in-person classes should start as soon as possible in HSE Schools.

HSEA President Janet Chandler also spoke before the board, and said teachers are working hard under difficult conditions, but are doing the best they can under the circumstances.

Although Dr. Bourff voiced hope that the school district could move to Phase 2 instruction after Labor Day, the community COVID-19 data will also impact that decision.  As of Thursday afternoon, the Fishers Health Department Risk Rating was at a Level 2 (Moderate) but was moving in the direction of Level 3 (Significant).  Bourff indicated the movement of the city health department’s measure needs to be moving in the other direction for Phase 2 to begin.

The board was also told that only immediate family, with few if any exceptions, would be allowed into school events, such as football games.  IHSAA rules limit spectators up to 250 with a number of other rules.

The pressure on school board members began to boil over at Wednesday’s meeting.  Board President Michelle Fullhart asked board members to take turns reading e-mails from the public on the COVID-19 issue.

When it was Amanda Shera’s turn, she said, “…”I am very uncomfortable that we have hand-picked letters that opposed opening (schools)…”

Fullhart cut Ms. Shera off and said, “I’m going to stop you. Because everybody that e-mailed me as of Monday – I e-mailed every one of them and asked – do you want these comments read? So, I’m not going to put up with this talk right now because that is not true.”

“I’m not one of your second graders,” said Shera. “The parents that were here were limited to two minutes but your letters went on-and-on. I have about a six-sentence e-mail…”

That received cheers from the audience at the meeting, which led to Fullhart warning the crowd not to do that and doing so would lead to removal from the meeting room.

Shera then voiced an objection to using the names of those writing the e-mails being read at the meeting, claiming it was a violation of FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

Fullhart responded that each e-mail writer consented to using their names, because comments read into the record of a school board meeting must have a name attached to it.

Bottom line, it is still uncertain when HSE Schools will move to Phase 2 under the new plan.

In a personnel matter, it was announced that Assistant Superintendent Jan Combs will be retiring at the end of calendar year 2020 and Matt Kegley has been promoted to Assistant Superintendent and will replace Dr. Combs once her retirement is effective at the end of 2020.

In another note from the board meeting, Fishers Health Department Director Monica Heltz told the board that the testing labs used by the city for COVID-19 testing are caught up and those awaiting test results should have them soon.

Another name was added to the list of candidates for the Hamilton Southeastern School Board.  Sarah Donsbach filed her paperwork Wednesday to run for the board in Delaware Township.  She joins two other Delaware Township hopefuls, incumbent Amanda Shera and Tony Bagato.

In the HSE School Board at-large election, all voters living within the boundaries of the school district vote on the candidates from each of the three townships (Fall Creek, Delaware & Wayne).  The candidates must reside within their respective townships.

There is still plenty of time for candidates to throw their hats in the ring.  The deadline to file as a candidate for the HSE School Board at-large election is August 21st at noon.

In 1965, Otis Redding released a song he wrote, titled “Respect.”   The record went nowhere.  In 1967, Aretha Franklin released her own version of that song, and it was a huge hit.

The hit version is all about a woman not getting any respect from her man.  It also popularized spelling a word to emphasize its importance, in this case R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Why do I bring this up now?  Because the word respect is, itself, not being respected these days.  So many of us with strong feelings about an issue want to demonize the other side.  That, in my view, is a total lack of respect.

Fishers and the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District, is preparing to make a big decision.  After beginning the school year virtually, the HSE board is faced with a very daunting decision – how long to continue virtual education and when do students return to the classrooms?

Mayor Scott Fadness and the leaders of his new city health department met in a work session with the HSE School Board Friday morning and the mayor told board members – “I shudder at the significant challenges that all of you have.”

The purpose of the meeting was to explain how the Fishers Health Department uses data in making recommendations to school officials on whether the novel coronavirus is at a level where it is safe to hold classes in person.  The bottom line message was that health officials review a large body of data, analyze it, and that leads to their recommendations to the schools.

When asked whether the health department would issue a legal order to the schools, Mayor Fadness made it clear that he wants to continue the 15-years of close cooperation between the municipal government and school system locally, and would never take such an action unless forced to do so and he does not foresee that happening.

The Fishers Health Department is led by two professionals in the field with stellar reputations – Dr. Indy Lane and Monica Heltz.  You can argue with the mayor as to whether creating a city health department was a good idea (I think it was, more on that later).  But do not question the expertise of those staffing this important city department.

I was saddened to know that Dr. Anthony Fauci, a man that has contributed so much to health in the United States and the world, needs a security detail because he and his family have received credible threats of violence.  He has been instrumental in developing therapies for previously fatal inflammatory ailments and diseases of the immune system.

It is a sad development that some Americans do not value the expertise of those with solid backgrounds to deal with a situation like novel coronavirus.  These experts are key to finding ways to deal with this virus.

On the local level, our city health department is staffed by experts.  They know what they are doing.  We must all respect that.

Our local HSE School Board has a very large decision to make.  It must take into account the recommendations of the Fishers Health Department, but as elected officials, will also listen to the public.

As someone doing local journalism for more than 8 years, I hear from plenty of people on this issue as well.  Let’s just say each side has little respect for the other.  I listen and read some nasty messages on this issue.

One side believes HSE Schools should have started the school year in-person, period.  The other side is concerned about the health of the students and staff, asking the board to consider the advice of the health department.

After listening to the work session held Friday, the health department essentially is saying school can be held in-person.  However, that in-person experience may be quite different than the pre-COVID version of in-person learning.

Schools will need to implement some very detailed mitigation strategies to all classes to resume in the buildings.  This will be most different for students in junior high and high school.

Based on what I have observed, our local community is very divided on this issue.  Generally, when the community is divided, the school board tends to also be divided.  I interviewed all the candidates on the board when they last stood for election (except Clint Wilson, who was appointed) and none of them had anything to say about managing a large school corporation in the middle of a pandemic.

The school administrators likely never had a class on dealing with a pandemic.  Everyone is learning as we go along.

In my view, Mayor Scott Fadness made the right call in creating a city health department.  When he looked around and found no testing program accessible last March, he wanted testing available to city residents and employers.  It appears to me that Fishers has more testing available than any other place in Indiana.  There has been a recent lag in receiving test results, but that is a national problem and city officials have worked hard to bring that lag time down.

Here is my message to the HSE Schools community at this time.  It is okay to have your own views, this is America and you are entitled to those views.  I ask two things.

First, show respect for those disagreeing with you.  After all, these are your neighbors.  They care about their children as much as you do.

Second, show respect for everyone, especially those with expertise.  Dr. Fauci has earned the right to be respected.  Those working in the Fishers Health Department have earned the right to be respected – they are experienced professionals.

The word respect has never been more important than at this time.  It was important when Otis Redding wrote the song in 1965 and when Aretha Franklin made it a hit in 1967.  Before we speak, before we write on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, let’s think about respect.

It is budget time for Hamilton County government, and it looks like the county’s share of local tax rate will go down, while assessed valuation of property will go up 6%.  Fred Swift reports in the August 8th edition of the Hamilton County Reporter that the value of property subject to taxation throughout the county has increased by one and one-third billion dollars (that’s billion with a B).

According to Swift, this means that if the budgets of the units of local government are, on average, held to less than a 6 percent increase there will be a slight decrease in property taxes in 2021.

The numbers, supplied by Deputy Auditor Lee Graham to reporter Swift, show the net taxable value of the county is $24.9 billion due to a healthy increase in new construction aided by a trending upward in the value of land in many parts of the county.

Another story published by the Reporter, this one in August 7th edition, cites Hamilton County Council President Rick McKinney as saying that county revenues will meet expenditures and residents will see a 1.27 percent projected decrease in county taxes.

County council budget hearings over the last few days resulted in finalizing a budget of just under $100 million for county general operations for the 2021 fiscal year.

Here are more details about the HAMCO budget next year, from the Reporter:

The proposed budget addressed some major projects, including the State Road 37 improvement project, construction of a county-owned parking garage to be located at 8th and Clinton streets in Noblesville, and increased security measures at the historic courthouse, which includes in part the hiring of three additional security personnel.

Additionally, the proposed budget includes the hiring a full-time deputy prosecutor to handle increased domestic violence cases, a part-time staff attorney for county judges will move to full-time, and a parks department position will change from part-time to full-time.

McKinney said the proposed budget halts the county’s matching contribution for its employees’ deferred compensation program.

Elected officials, other than council members and commissioners, will receive a 1 percent increase in salary. Commissioners and council members will not receive a salary increase. Other county employees will continue to receive salary increases based on the county’s salary matrix.

Again this year, the county will financially assist several local non-profits.

“It is always a struggle funding non-profits; however, the council did agree to provide funding to organizations that received funding in 2020,” said McKinney.

A total of nine non-profits will share $580,000. The council did add Westfield-based Heart and Soul Clinic to the list of organizations.

Hamilton County Commissioner Steve Dillinger praised the council for proposing a conservative budget.

Dillinger

“These are financially uncertain times,” Dillinger said. “We need to be prudent and conservative right now.”

According to Dillinger, a possible reduction in LIT tax received by the county – due to unemployment related to COVID-19 – could impact county revenue.

“Because of the way LIT tax is distributed, we will not fully know the financial impact until 2022,” Dillinger said.

A public hearing on the budget will be conducted at 7 p.m. on Oct. 7 at the Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center. A final council vote to approve the budget will take place at 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 19. After council approval, the budget will be sent to the State of Indiana for review before going into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

For those of you happy that the construction blocking traffic along the Nickel Plate Trail on 131st Street is complete and the road is open, be prepared for another project, this one blocking 126th Street, along the same trail, west of State Road 37.  That construction is not expected to end until late September.

There are many other updates of interest to local motorists in the weekly update provided by the City of Fishers, and shown below.

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“We had a lot of questions from the community posed to us from a public health perspective – can schools open?” Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness looked at members of the Hamilton Southeastern School Board and administrators as he and officials from the Fishers Health Department briefed them on recommendations about when and how school buildings may open locally.

City health officials and Mayor Fadness say the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Fishers is in the Moderate Risk category (yellow in the chart above) but moving very close the Significant Risk column (Level 3 beige color above).

The decision to open school buildings is dependent on a long list of factors determined by data, not just one piece of data or a small segment, according to city health officials.  All must be analyzed in making such a decision.

The mayor emphasized that schools could open, but under what circumstances, when and with which mitigation policies are all decisions to be made by the school district.  The city and health department can advise and recommend, but school officials make the final decision.

“I shudder at the significant challenges that all of you have,” Fadness told the school board.  The city’s role is to explain to school officials where the community stands from a public health standpoint.  The mayor emphasized the city is prepared to continue its 15-year record of cooperation with the HSE Schools.

As to when school buildings may open again, and under what circumstances, Superintendent Allen Bourff  said any change from virtual learning to some form of in-person instruction would only happen with a two-week notice to parents.

The Fishers Health Department explained that mitigation strategies should vary.  For example, elementary and intermediate students and staff are at a lower risk of COVID-19 infection, although there remains some risk.  Most elementary classes remain together during the school day.

Junior High and High School students and staff face a much more challenging set of risks.

No decisions were made at the Friday morning HSE School Board work session.

As a generally retired guy, it is amazing what swirls through my mind on a given day.  Today, I am sharing a few of those thoughts.  I will leave it up to you as to whether any are of substantive value.

–Here are the local novel coronavirus numbers as of this writing.  According to the Fishers Health Department, the city has seen 75 positive tests in the past 14 days, with 826 local residents testing positive since the local testing regime began in early April.  35 Fishers city residents have died of COVID-19, and that number has held steady for several weeks.  If you review the positive case numbers on the fishersrecovery.com chart, it will appear that those cases are going down recently.  However, Monica Heltz, director of the health department, cautions that many test results have been delayed and those numbers may not be a true picture of what is happening locally.  Heltz says a national shortage of key testing material and a general increase in testing demand has resulted in the delays.  The Indiana State Department of Health reports 104 novel coronavirus deaths in all of Hamilton County, with 2,610 positive results out of 44,268 total tests conducted.

–Major League Baseball should do away with the cardboard cutouts of fans in the stands.  They look ridiculous.  The TV stations are piping in fake crowd noise and cheers, which is OK because their production people are doing it well.  Just glad there is baseball to watch on TV.  Let’s hope the game can remain safe for the players, coaches and support staff.  One or two more outbreaks of the virus and the shortened MLB season is in jeopardy.

–The NBA and NHL have opted for “bubbles” keeping the players and other personnel together under strict rules and testing regimes.  So far, no positive tests in those sports.

–The NFL has started training camps and some players are choosing just not to play.  It will be very difficult to prevent outbreaks just due to the nature of the sport and how it is played on the field.  I am not as big a fan of the NFL as I once was, but the Indianapolis area has a major public investment in the Colts so I hope they do well.

–I very much enjoy college football but wonder how the major conferences will be able to play, again due to the nature of the sport.  How successful will universities be at keeping players in line with the rules?  I hate to say it, but a full college football season with a national champion may not happen this season.  That is just being a realist.

–The IHSAA has issued rules for their member schools.  Fans are allowed in the stands at the discretion of the home school.  If there are fans, there are strict limits as to how many and how they will be spaced.  Will there be a Mudsock Game this year with Fishers playing HSE?  Time will tell.

–If you want children in the HSE Schools to return to class in-person, the best thing you can do is wear a mask when you leave your home and encourage others to do the same.  Wash your hands and observe the guidelines from health professionals.

–Please, take care of yourself and be careful out there!

Suzanne Thomas has filed as a candidate for Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board in Fall Creek Township.  She joins incumbent Clint Wilson and Chauna Leigh Holder on the ballot for the November 3rd school board race.

So far, incumbent Amanda Shera and Tony Bagato have filed for the Delaware Township seat.  Sarah E. Parks-Reese in Wayne Township has also previously filed as a school board candidate.

There are three at-large seats up for grabs in the HSE election.  You must live within the borders of your township, but all voters in the HSE District vote on all three township races.

After a little more than 2 years in the job, the Deputy Mayor for the City of Fishers, Elliott Hultgren, is moving on.  He is set to begin working at KSM consulting.

Deputy Mayor Hultgren has had a number of responsibilities with the City of Fishers, including management of the city’s large fleet of vehicles, along with the financial controller’s office and the creation of the Fishers Health Department.

I spoke with Elliott Hultgren about that and more in this podcast, recorded on August 3rd.