Construction progress, student achievement, and the 2027 budget process highlighted the August meeting of the Zionsville Community Schools Board of School Trustees.

The Zionsville Community Schools Board of School Trustees met Monday, August 10, with updates spanning construction projects across the district, the opening of the 2026-2027 school year, student achievement, enrollment, finances, and several new business items.

ZCS Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Coffman opened her report by looking back to the district's 2024 deliberative Facilities Study, which identified two primary areas requiring continued attention: facility capacity and facility maintenance.

Two years later, work connected to both priorities is visible throughout the district.

Victor Landfair, vice president of The Skillman Corporation, provided the board with an extensive construction update following what he described as an exceptionally busy summer. 

Dr. Coffman thanked the board for its long-term stewardship of district facilities and community assets, noting that several ZCS schools are now reaching the 20- to 25-year mark, making investments in life-safety systems, HVAC, infrastructure and other building needs increasingly important.

Facility preparation was only part of the district's summer work.

ZCS welcomed 47 educators to New Teacher Academy before the start of school. The group included both recent graduates and veteran educators with years of classroom experience.

New teachers spent time learning about the district, community, mission, strategic plan, and Strong in Every Way focus before joining colleagues for the start of the school year.

That preparation quickly transitioned into welcome events across all nine ZCS campuses, including new-family events, locker practice, opportunities for students to walk their schools and a well-attended freshman kickoff at Zionsville Community High School.

Dr. Coffman thanked building leaders, staff members, PTOs and booster organizations for helping create welcoming experiences for students and families.

With the district completing its first full week of classes, attention now shifts toward student growth and the learning that will take place throughout the year.

Families will have several opportunities to learn more through upcoming open houses and curriculum nights.

• Seventh- and eighth-grade open houses, August 18
• Elementary school curriculum nights, August 20

Measuring Student Growth

As students settle into classrooms, ZCS educators are beginning another year of assessing individual student growth.

The district continues to use the nationally normed NWEA assessment at the elementary and middle school levels. Teachers and administrators use the results as one piece of information to understand individual student needs, plan instruction, and measure growth.

Last year's results showed the average ZCS student performing at the 78th percentile nationally in mathematics and the 74th percentile nationally in reading. Dr. Coffman emphasized that no single assessment tells the complete story of a student.

Official statewide assessment data from the previous school year had not yet been fully released at the time of the meeting. However, the district previously reported that nearly 97% of ZCS third graders passed IREAD. Remaining students qualified for applicable good-cause exemptions, meaning no third-grade students were retained and all advanced to fourth grade.

ZCS is also awaiting final ILEARN results following Indiana's transition last year to a checkpoint assessment model.

Class of 2026 Achievement

The superintendent's report also revisited several indicators of achievement for the Class of 2026. Sixty-eight percent of graduates earned an Academic Honors Diploma or Technical Honors Diploma. ZCHS students took more than 2,600 Advanced Placement exams, with 85% earning a score of 3 or higher.

Students earned a significant number of dual credits while attending ZCHS. Those credits represent an estimated nearly $1.8 million in college tuition savings for ZCS families.

Enrollment Tops 8,000

Enrollment at the beginning of the school year stood at just over 8,000 students, including preschool students. That number will continue to fluctuate in the weeks leading up to Labor Day as additional families arrive in the community.

Families were reminded of Indiana's immunization requirements for specific grade levels. The Boone County Health Department is offering free vaccination opportunities August 13 and August 27, with advance registration requested.

EagleFest Returns August 28

One of the district's largest community traditions returns Friday, August 28.

EagleFest will coincide with the first home football game of the season and serves as a fundraiser for ZCS athletic booster organizations.

Advance tickets are $9 and are available through the district's three secondary schools and participating community businesses, with tickets also available at the gate.

Congratulations ZCHS Educator Dawn Makley

The superintendent's report ended with another celebration: ZCHS educator Dr. Dawn Makley, the 2026 ZCS District Teacher of the Year, has been named one of the Top 25 finalists for Indiana Teacher of the Year.

Additional information about the statewide recognition process is expected this fall.

Consent Agenda

The board approved the consent agenda, including minutes of previous meetings, personnel items, special requests, end-of-year extracurricular account reports, the June 2026 financial report, fund transfers, contracts, an easement agreement, donations, surplus equipment, claims totaling approximately $23.3 million and payroll totaling approximately $4.1 million.

Board members also discussed the district's audit process. ZCS and its extracurricular accounts operate on a two-year audit cycle, with the district audited through June 2025. The Indiana State Board of Accounts oversees the process, including desk audits and contracted audit work.

Board members also recognized numerous donations supporting ZCS schools and programs, including PTO contributions, support for student assistance, musical instruments for the Zionsville Middle School band, furniture and equipment, and an outdoor athletic storage shed donated by the Zionsville Football Club.

Elementary Curricular Material Fees Approved

Moving into new business, elementary supplemental curricular material fees for the 2026-2027 school year were approved.

Under state guidance, districts may charge families for supplemental or consumable materials that are used by students. District leaders emphasized that the fees are designed to pass along the actual cost of those materials rather than generate revenue.

General Fees Approved

The board also approved the district's general fee structure for 2026-2027.

The goal is to remain cost-neutral while maintaining transparency for families and compliance with Indiana State Board of Accounts guidance.

The board authorized the district to advertise its proposed 2027 budget, beginning the annual budget process.

As part of the presentation, Chief Financial Officer Regina May reviewed historical spending and revenue trends and highlighted a new school finance resource available through the district's website.

The statewide introductory school finance video was developed through a partnership involving the Indiana Association of School Business Officials, the Indiana School Public Relations Association and CIESC to help communities better understand the fundamentals of Indiana school finance.

The district's spending has remained relatively consistent by category across multiple funds (Education, Operating Referendum, and Operations), with personnel costs in the Education and Operating Referendum fund changing in response to the two-year collective bargaining cycle.  Additionally, Operations Fund spending has remained consistent despite inflation. Mrs. May explained that as costs rise in areas such as utilities, transportation, and supplies, ZCS continually re-evaluates contracts and other expenses to remain within available revenue.

The district reported that in 2025 it spent $11,032 per student across the Education, Operating Referendum, and Operations funds, the lowest per-student expenditure among the Boone County districts as well as the Hamilton County peers.

At the same time, ZCS continues to receive the lowest levels of state funding per student.

For 2027, the district anticipates approximately $7,130.42 per student through the state's foundation and complexity funding calculation. Looking across multiple revenue sources for the three funds examined (Education, Operating Referendum, and Operations), the total per-student revenue was approximately $11,693 in 2025 and is projected at approximately $11,808 for 2026.

Tax Caps Continue to Affect Revenue

Another important factor in the district's financial outlook is revenue lost to property tax caps and the supplemental homeowner credit.

ZCS is projected to lose just under $2.7 million in revenue in 2026. That figure is expected to reach approximately $3 million next year, with the entire impact expected to fall on the Operations Fund. That issue will be discussed in greater detail during the district's September budget hearing.

The proposed 2027 budget, Capital Projects Plan, and Bus Replacement Plan will be advertised ahead of the district's public budget hearing scheduled for September 14 at 6 p.m. Final budget adoption is expected in October.

Union Elementary Playground Project Moves Forward

The board authorized ZCS and The Skillman Corporation to advertise for bids for a playground replacement project at Union Elementary.

Union is celebrating its 20th year, and the project would address both the first- through fourth-grade playgrounds on the north side of the school and the kindergarten playground on the southeast side.

Teacher Evaluation Results and a New Framework

The board received the district's annual teacher evaluation report and reviewed a new evaluation framework for 2026-27.

For 2025-26, 79% of ZCS teachers received a highly effective rating, 20% were rated effective, and 1% were rated improvement necessary. No teachers received an ineffective rating.

The district spent the past year working with teacher groups and administrators to review research, study best practices and develop a revised evaluation rubric.

Beginning this school year, all educators covered by the process will be evaluated using eight standards: planning and preparation, setting growth goals, assessment and feedback, instructional delivery, communication, collaborative practices, classroom culture, and ethical and responsible behavior. Each standard will be weighted equally.

Public Records Policy First Reading

The board's final item of new business was a first reading of proposed revisions to Policy 8310 regarding public records. No board action was required.

The proposed changes respond to House Enrolled Act 1360, adopted during the most recent legislative session to modernize Indiana's Access to Public Records process while helping public agencies manage increasing numbers of automated, out-of-state, and potentially suspicious records requests.

The proposed policy language was provided through the Indiana School Boards Association and may return to the board for a second reading in September or at a future meeting following additional board review.

Next Meeting

The next regular Board Meeting is September 14, 2026 at 6 p.m. in the ZCS Board Room, Educational Services Center, 900 Mulberry Street, Zionsville.