Board Meeting
April 2026

Superintendent's Report

Student Storytelling Earns National Recognition

The Superintendent's Report began with celebration, honoring Zionsville Community High School journalism teacher Lauren Wagner, who was previously recognized as the Indiana High School Press Association Advisor of the Year.

Wagner, joined by student leaders Avery Krieble and Ananya Tripathi, shared that the 2025 yearbook, themed “Now You Know,” earned a prestigious Silver Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The publication was one of only 42 yearbooks in the nation to receive the honor and the only one from Indiana. It also marked the first time ZCS has earned a Crown award.

Students described the yearbook as more than a final product. It is a year-long process that begins with more than 300 blank pages and evolves through planning, writing, photography, design, and revision under real deadlines. The experience builds not only technical skills, but collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving.

A key focus this year was ensuring representation. Students intentionally worked to reflect the district's belief that “everyone belongs here,” capturing a wide range of student experiences across academics, activities, and daily life. Notably, 64 percent of students were included in the yearbook at least three times, an increase from 53 percent the previous year. A creative initiative also invited every student to contribute one word describing how they want to be known, weaving those identities throughout the publication.

The result is more than a yearbook. It is a record of a community, told by the students who live it.

A Global Classroom Experience

The board also heard from French teacher Jenna Engelhardt, who shared about the district’s long-standing exchange program with a partner school in Alsace, France.

Established in 2014, the program offers a fully immersive experience. French students spend 10 days attending ZCS classes and living with host families, followed by ZCS students traveling to France for a reciprocal experience that includes attending school, engaging in daily life, and participating in cultural activities.

Engelhardt described a program that is transformative. Students develop language proficiency, cultural awareness, independence, and confidence while navigating new environments. The experience often extends beyond the initial exchange, with students pursuing study abroad opportunities and maintaining long-term relationships.

After more than a decade, the program has become a legacy experience for students.

Understanding a New State Accountability System

A significant portion of the meeting focused on a detailed presentation from School Services Coordinator Greg McDaniel, who provided an overview of Indiana’s newly adopted school accountability model.

The system represents a major shift in how schools and districts will be evaluated, with implementation beginning now and official grades expected to be released next fall.

The model assigns each student a numerical score based on a combination of academic mastery and additional success indicators. These scores are averaged at the school and district level to produce a final school letter grade.

While the output of a single letter grade seems simple, the system behind it is highly complex.

McDaniel explained that:

• Every student receives a point value based on performance and indicators such as attendance, coursework, and assessments.
• Those points are averaged to determine school and district scores.
• A phased grading scale will ease schools into the new system, starting with a more lenient scale before gradually tightening over time.

The model includes multiple grade bands: grade three, grades four through eight, grade 10, and grade 12, each with its own formula and indicators.

Key Shifts and Considerations

Board discussion highlighted several important aspects of the new system:

Individual Student Metrics Drive School Grades
Each student’s performance directly contributes to the school’s grade, reinforcing a focus on every learner.

Attendance Matters
Consistent attendance is a recurring indicator across grade levels, placing emphasis on how attendance is defined and measured.

Increased Emphasis on Early Academic Progression
At the high school level, indicators encourage students to begin advanced coursework, such as AP, dual credit, or career and technical education, earlier in their academic journey.

A Complex High School Formula
Grade 12 includes additional components, with 80 percent of the score based on student metrics and 20 percent tied to graduation rates and college/career readiness indicators.

Expectations Are Rising
The new diploma framework places higher expectations on students. What has traditionally been considered the highest diploma (academic honors) is now categorized as “meeting expectations,” signaling a push toward work-based learning to achieve the new Honors Plus Seals.  

A Guiding Principle: Students First

While the new system, designed by the Indiana Department of Education, introduces incentives for work-based learning, the district remains committed to prioritizing individual student choice above all else.

As McDaniel noted, the work ahead involves analyzing the system, identifying opportunities, and making thoughtful decisions that are always grounded in what serves students best.

Action Taken: Student Handbooks

The second reading of student handbooks for the 2026–2027 school year was presented and approved.

Additional updates tied to new legislation, including guidance on personal devices, are still pending and will be addressed in future meetings.

New Business: Instructional Materials

Board members considered updated instructional materials for several high school courses.

New resources were proposed for business courses, AP Statistics, and AP Pre-Calculus. Teachers and administrators reviewed current materials alongside updated Indiana standards and student performance data to determine where updates were necessary.

 The process included:

• Evaluation of multiple material options
• Alignment to state standards
• Consideration of cost-effectiveness
• An open invitation for parent review

The new materials were approved, reflecting a process of thorough internal evaluation focused on meeting student needs while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

The Role of the Operating Referendum

This part of the April 13 meeting focused on the district’s financial outlook and the impact of recent legislative changes on school funding.

At the center of that conversation was Senate Enrolled Act 1 (2025), and what it means for Zionsville Community Schools moving forward.

While it is expected that home values will continue to rise, the way those values are used to generate school funding is dramatically changing. Adjustments to the state’s property tax deduction and credit schedules are reducing the taxable value of residential properties.  

In simple terms, homes may be worth more, but the revenue schools receive from those homes is expected to decrease.

That shift creates long-term pressure on the district’s ability to sustain current programming and staffing levels.

The Role of the Operating Referendum

ZCS continues to be the lowest funded school district in the state of Indiana on a per pupil basis.  This is a key reason why the use of an operating referendum as a funding mechanism is essential.

Zionsville Community Schools has utilized an operating referendum since 2012 as a way to supplement state funding and maintain the level of programming and service that families have come to expect. The current referendum, approved by the community in 2019, is set to expire in December 2027.

Today, 100 percent of ZCS Operating Referendum funding supports teacher salaries and benefits.

The Operating Referendum provides funding for:

• Elementary special area teachers, including art, music, wellness, and STEM
• Middle school programming such as art, PE, band, choir, orchestra, Project Lead the Way, and World Language
• Elementary literacy coaches and middle school instructional coaches who support teaching and learning
• Technology integration specialists serving all schools
• Customized Learning Program teachers at the high school
• All school counselors, psychologists, and speech-language pathologists
• Multilingual teachers
• Media specialists
• All kindergarten teachers across the district

In total, the operating referendum supports approximately one in three teachers in Zionsville Community Schools.

In ZCS, the Operating Referendum is not an add-on. It is a foundational part of how the district serves students.

Maintaining that stability is directly tied to maintaining class sizes, academic programming, and student support systems.

What Has Changed

Senate Enrolled Act 1 did more than impact revenue. It also changed how and when school districts can ask their communities to consider a referendum.

Additionally, moving forward, referendum questions:

• Can only appear on general election ballots in November of even-numbered years
• Are limited to a maximum duration of eight years
• Must include the maximum possible tax rate and maximum levy over the life of the referendum
• Must present the estimated financial impact to taxpayers

That final requirement introduces a new level of complexity.

The impact must be calculated as if no referendum currently exists. For a community like ZCS, which has had an operating referendum in place since 2012, that means the number presented may appear significantly higher than what residents will experience.

This creates a communication challenge. The number required to be listed in a potential ballot question will not reflect a continuation of what is already in place. It will reflect a scenario as if the referendum had never existed.

Timing Matters

These legislative changes also affect timing.

Because the current operating referendum expires in December 2027, and referendum questions can only be placed on ballots in even-numbered years, the district does not have the option to wait until 2028 to seek renewal.

That window would come too late.

As a result, district leadership shared that it is prudent to pursue an operating referendum in November 2026.

This timing ensures continuity and avoids a potential gap in funding that would directly impact staffing and programming.

Planning with Purpose

As the district looks ahead, the approach is structured around careful planning and responsible stewardship.

Financial planning includes maintaining a healthy balance in the operating referendum fund, allowing the district to maintain programs and staff throughout an entire school year, rather than making adjustments in December at the end of a calendar year. At the same time, leadership is closely monitoring the variables that drive school funding, including assessed value, tax rates, and overall revenue projections.

What's Next

District leadership will work in partnership with the county auditor to refine the details of a potential operating referendum, including the rate, levy, and required ballot language under the new legislative guidelines.

That work will lead to a formal recommendation, which is expected to be brought back to the Board of Trustees in June for consideration.