ZCS Board Meeting

Two-Meeting Week for ZCS Board of Trustees

Ratification of the 2019-2021 collective bargaining agreement with the Zionsville Educators Association necessitated two meetings for the ZCS Board of Trustees in the past week. In accordance with SEA 390, the 2019 Indiana General Assembly requires the school to call a special meeting regarding the collective bargaining agreement at least 72 hours before it is ratified. The Tuesday, 11/12/2019, 4PM meeting to allow public comment on the proposed agreement was followed by a 5PM board gathering in public on Friday, 11/15/2019 for the vote.

The Friday meeting yielded unanimous board support for the collective bargaining agreement forged with ZEA in meetings since September of this year by utilizing a collaborative process for the second two-year deal involving the parties. Teachers will see base salary increases in both contract years and the starting salary for new teachers hired in the fall of 2020 will be set at $45,000.

Members of the teacher group, the superintendent, and board members were complimentary of the collaborative process.

In the Tuesday meeting, the first since election day, board members thanked the community for support of both ballot questions voted up by an 80%-20% margin. The operating referendum will repeal and replace the current operating referendum at the same tax rate for an eight-year period. The facility referendum’s success will facilitate construction of elementary school number six on the CR875 campus, an addition to ZCHS, and a variety of important classroom space and necessary equipment replacements around the district’s nine campuses.

As part of the district’s Strong in Every Way initiative, each month a school selects, and the ZCS Board of School Trustees recognizes, a student who embodies one of the ZCS traits of success. At Tuesday’s meeting, ZCHS Principal Tim East introduced Vaughn Mihok for his embodiment of the success trait of compassion. East described Mihok as a student who brings joy to everyone and has a true north compass for inclusion and respect for all.

Tuesday’s board meeting included a Superintendent’s Report focused on three important elements of district programming and success.

"Veterans Day is a time when our school family comes together to show respect for those who have served or are serving in the military. It is our school community’s responsibility to weave respect and honor for our veterans into the core mission of our schools -- student growth. These programs allow our students to show proper reverence and honor to our veterans through organized ceremonies,” said ZCS Superintendent Dr. Scott Robison.

Robison shared a photograph from one of the ZCS school’s Veterans Day celebrations and foreshadowed release of a video montage from various schools’ special veterans recognitions. The video may be seen HERE.

Superintendent Robison described the ZCHS football sectional win against Brownsburg as perhaps one of the most exciting high school football games he has ever seen. Likewise, the ZCHS boys soccer team state championship win is one for the history books. ZCHS Athletic Director Greg Shellhase described the boys soccer season as one of the best seasons in the history of Indiana high school soccer. The 2019 ZCHS boys soccer team were Hoosier Cup Champions, Hoosier Crossroads Conference Champions, Sectional, Regional, and Semi-State Champions, and one of only four teams in the history of Indiana soccer to finish untied and unbeaten. Sehellhase said the ZCHS Boys Soccer team, led by Rob Jordan, is arguably the best high school soccer team in the history of Indiana soccer.

The boys soccer team was not only successful in play but in the manner in which they represented Zionsville Community Schools.

Shellhase said, “This team is a first class representation of ZCS. They embrace the core values that are the base of our athletic program and our Strong In Every Way initiative. They show perseverance and always perform their highest on the biggest stage.”

The team had thirteen academic all-state members, won a Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Association, and in the last four years, has totaled the highest team GPA in the state of Indiana as well as being ranked academically between 15^th and 17^th nationally.

Chief Operating Officer Rebecca Coffman provided the annual class size and enrollment report while once again highlighting the district’s long established ideal class size targets for student success. The theoretical class size metrics in ZCS cites an ideal average of 18 students per class in kindergarten and first grade, 20 students per class in second and third grade, and 25 students per class in grades four through 12. After reviewing the elementary school class sizes and showing that the actual overall class sizes are on target, Mrs. Coffman reviewed the middle level classes and gains the district continues to make in the secondary school class sizes. Mrs. Coffman reported 87 fewer core middle school classes with 30 or more students in 2019 as compared to 2011 and no core classes over 35 students per class in 2019. The high school is showing a similar trend with 137 fewer core classes with 35 students in 2019 as compared to 2011, and no core classes at ZCHS exceeding 35 students.

Mrs. Coffman shared statistics regarding students who are both entering and exiting the school district. She also shared details about the small number of students who leave the district due to in-state moves, private school transfers and online learning opportunities. 

Jane Johnson was re-appointed by the School Board to the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library Board. Micah Vincent will replace Becky Hill who is retiring from the panel.

Chief Technology Officer Daniel Layton was granted approval to purchase laptops for teachers at Eagle Elementary School. Their current laptops are at the end of a six-year ZCS-implemented life cycle.

The next meeting of the Board of School Trustees will be on December 9, 2019 at 6 p.m. in the Educational Services Center.

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