Board Meeting
September 9, 2019
Zionsville Community High School and STAR Bank join for unique and innovative partnership to support education, arts and technology
ZIONSVILLE, INDIANA (September 11, 2019) - The Zionsville Community Schools Board of Trustees met on Monday evening for the regular monthly meeting.
As part of the Strong in Every Way initiative, students are taught to embrace five main character traits. One of those traits is determination. This month Pleasant View Elementary School (PVE) first grade student Jackson Stout was selected to open the board meeting as he is the perfect example of what it means to be determined.
PVE Principal Dr. Stacy Smith described Jackson as an amazing, strong, and energetic first grader who was diagnosed with Leukemia at age four but has not let that slow him down.
Dr. Smith said, “Jackson is an honorary football team member of Marian University who is always operating full-speed ahead and with a smile.”
The meeting’s big moment was the unveiling of a partnership that will increase opportunities for students in Zionsville Community Schools. Board President Joe Stein emphasized that ZCS is the lowest funded school district in the state of Indiana and is on the ballot in November because this is required to pay for one-third of our teaching staff. Mr. Stein said that voting to maintain class sizes and property values is only a part of the solution. He said district leaders are always looking for self-help opportunities in addition to outstanding stewardship of resources made available by the state.
Mr. Stein said that the announcement of the partnership between Ziosnville Community Schools and STAR Financial Bank helps ZCS in more ways than just finance. He said the relationship represents ZCS’s longstanding tradition of stewardship and self-help.
“This is a much deeper partnership of opportunities for ZCS and its students,” said Mr Stein. “The new opportunities include teaching young people about financial literacy, shadowing and internship opportunities, possible employment for some of our students in banking and finance, and experience for our technology students as well.”
The Zionsville Performing Arts Center is now the STAR Bank Performing Arts Center. Additional details about the partnership can be found here.
Zionsville students who spent time in destinations as far flung as Chile, Thailand, Spain and France spoke at this month’s board meeting to share the many ways they benefitted from their experiences.
The students traveled as part of two main programs: the Indiana University Honors program in Foreign Languages and The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). They shared that, although the experience challenged them emotionally, socially and academically, they all gained independence and a new global perspective. Learning host family dynamics, making new friends, and for some, consistently using a non-native language were among the many new skills students mentioned. One student described the unexpected challenge of learning to manage extreme temperatures with the unprecedented heat in France this summer.
Developing cultural understandings is one of the three main domains of the district’s Strong in Every Way initiative. The student speakers agreed that they were well-prepared for their foreign travels and that they learned things about the world and themselves that could only happen outside of the classroom. ZCHS teacher Amy Conrad coordinates various overseas study opportunities for students.
Dr. Robison reminded the board that the annual student enrollment and class size report for the 2019-2020 school year is slated again this year for the October meeting. He offered a factual update about the state of ZCS student enrollment and the increasing challenges to find the needed space in the schools to accommodate the rapid growth. He said with enrollment continuing to climb, space is being outstripped and the district is having to find creative ways to make everyone fit.
ZCS has two questions on the ballot in the fall. Voter registration ends October 7th and early voting at the courthouse begins October 9th from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Complete election information can be found here.
Chief Academic Officer Kris Devereaux was granted board approval for middle and high school fees proposed for the 2019-2020 school year. Board members thanked Ms. Devereaux for her hard work and commitment to keeping student fees as low as possible.
Chief Operating Officer Rebecca Coffman asked for permission to use the remaining funds from the LED lighting project to purchase a new projector for the STAR Bank Peforming Arts Center. She explained that ZCS has an urgent need for a new projector. Chief Financial Officer Mike Shafer said that although the projector purchase had been contemplated long before the finalization of the STAR Bank partnership, it is easier to move forward knowing there will be financial support for future projects that will benefit the facility.
ZCS Superintendent Scott Robison explained that recent legislation allowed local school districts to apply up to an additional 20% of Teacher Appreciation Grant awards to teachers who are new to the profession by taking from the allocation of others. The approval was done immediately to make the state’s deadline for putting into policy (for this and future years) the Board of Trustees’ right to utilize this option if they so choose.
The next regular monthly board meeting will be held on October 7, 2019 at the ZCS Educational Service Center.
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