The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board took some actions and delayed others Wednesday night.
The board voted to approve school policies concerning animals on school property, including definitions for “companion animals” and “service animals.” You can see the new policies at this link.
Changes to the polices on curriculum were delayed because a Policy Committee meeting could not be held last week due of the weather-related school building closures. That Policy Committee meeting has been rescheduled for early March.
Every 2 years, the school corporation takes bids on rental fees for two areas of farmland owned by the district. Bids were opened for the coming 2-year period. Josh Jacobi was the winning bid for a 16.5 acre parcel with a bid of $175 rental per acres, a $25 per acre increase from the previous contract. The other parcel, 157 acres, was awarded to Steve Jacks with a bid of $350 per acre, a $90 per acre increase.
The board voted to allow administrators to take bids for new LED lighting at Fishers Elementary School. It is estimated the project could cost $260,000 but Bob Rice, Energy Management Director for HSE Schools, said the new lighting would save energy costs over time.
Rice also updated the board on an easement agreement with Duke Energy allowing power lines and poles near the new Deer Creek Elementary School. Rice says more actions are pending on that project involving the City of Noblesville and no board action is needed at this time.
Board President Julie Chambers said the board is planning a work session Tuesday, February 15, at 5:30pm, to discuss first steps in planning the upcoming school funding referendum. The work session will not deal in any specific numbers, but will discuss what the referendum is, timelines involved and how it impacts the HSE District. Because this is a work session, not a regular meeting, there will be no video recording or live stream.
Near the end of the board meeting, Suzanne Thomas asked when the appointee of HSE Schools to the Hamilton East Library Board, Brian Meyer, will provide an update to the school board on the Hamilton East Library. Board President Chambers responded that should happen sometime this summer. Thomas then said some board members publicly expressed views at a recent Hamilton East Library Board meeting that are different from her views, on the issue of what section of the library should contain certain age-specific material (use this link for more on that meeting). Chambers responded that this is a library board issue, not a school board issue, and went to the next agenda item.