SCHOOL BOARD
MEETING

The meeting opened with the Superintendent's Report, led by ZCS Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Coffman. She began by acknowledging the Veterans Day Ceremonies held across all nine campuses last week. Dr. Coffman took a moment to express gratitude to the military members currently serving and those who have previously served our country who reside in the ZCS community. In addition, she extended her thanks to the entire ZCS community—staff, students, and families—for participating in a variety of ways including ceremonies, music, artwork, and more, making Veterans Day one of the most impactful days in the school year.

Dr. Coffman also reminded board members about the upcoming speaker event, the third in the Strong in Every Way Fall Speaker Series, scheduled for November 20th.

A highlight of the November board meeting was a school update from Zionsville Community High School Principal Tim East.

Mr. East noted that over the past three years, the ZCHS students in the National Art Honor Society have created three murals in ZCHS's main hallway that capture the essence of the student experience at ZCHS.

The first mural, Stronger Together, captures the themes of developing cultural understandings and the aspiration that Everyone Belongs Here.

The second mural is all about school environment and the nurturing culture that provides fertile ground for student growth.

The most recent mural depicts the broad width of the opportunities that ZCHS provides for students to mature academically, physically, and socially.  

ZCHS embodies the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” 

Mr. East introduced a team of students and educators to share a sampling of how the themes on those murals have been brought to life through the outstanding academic, athletic, and performing arts programs students experienced this fall. 

Congratulations ZCHS

Congratulations to Zionsville Community High School for being named a Gold Rated AP Honor Roll High School by the College Board. Three criteria were considered:

* College Culture: 79 percent of ZCHS students take Advanced Placement (AP) exams (criteria is set at 65 percent)

* College Credit: 62 percent of students earn college credit in high school (criteria is 35 percent)

* College Optimization: 17 percent of students took five or more AP exams (surpasses criteria of 10 percent).

This recognition is an affirmation of the commitment of ZCHS teachers and counselors to helping students reach their full potential.

Academic Supports / ZCHS Counseling Department

ZCHS Counselor Cathy Patane shared about how the ZCHS counseling team is supporting all students to open doors toward enrollment, enlistment, and employment opportunities for their futures. ZCHS teachers and counselors are committed to helping students reach their full potential. 

College Enrollment

So far this year, ZCHS has processed more than 3,200 college applications, hosted five student college application workshops and four college application parent workshops.

Military

November marks the beginning of ZCHS's military focus, with all branches of the military being represented on campus. The emphasis will cover various areas, including academies, enlistment, reserves, college opportunities and ROTC.

J. Everett Light (JEL) and Career Certifications

There were 48 students who earned certifications during the 2022-2023 school year and are in high paying jobs. More than 100 students enrolled in JEL classes during the 2023-2024 school year.

Upcoming Counseling Events

Watch for information about a Trades/STEM Fair, a Career Fair (to be held during the school day) and FASFA Completion Workshops. FASFA workshops will be held:

• January 16, 6-7:30 p.m.
• February 28, 6-7:30 p.m.

The deadline to submit the FASFA is April 15, 2024.

Sister School Exchange with Lycee JJ Henner

Continuing to look at the academic programs in place to support student growth and learning – Principal Tim East invited Jenna Engelhardt and Mara Lusk to share about the first half of the 2023-2024 exchange with sister school J.J. Henner High School in Altkirch, France.  

Thirty-two students and three teachers spent 10 days in our community.  During their visit, all of our guests stayed with host families.  The students experienced “a day in the life of an American student”, and had cultural field trips to a Pacers game, Purdue University, Eiteljorg Museum, Lucas Oil Stadium tour and a visit to the State House and Indiana Department of Education. 

In the spring, a group of ZCHS students and teachers will travel for a reciprocal experience in Paris, Normandy, and Altkirch.  

Fall Sports Highlights

Keeping with the theme that learning and growth are complemented by experiences both inside and outside of the classroom, Greg Schellhase and Josh Larsh shared some highlights from the fall sports season.  

The boys cross country team finished 4th in the State Championship Meet. Senior Sam Spees led the Eagles finishing 8th place overall and Junior Jack Turnbull finished 18th overall.

The girls cross country team finished 9th in the State Championship Meet. Sophomore Kathryn Green led the Lady Eagles finishing 35th.

The volleyball team had a strong season finishing 25-6 overall. The Eagles fell to eventual State Champion Hamilton Southeastern in the sectional. Head Coach Olivia Goldstein was voted the HCC Coach of the Year by her peers.

The boys tennis team finished with an undefeated regular season record of 18-0 which included capturing their fifth straight HCC Championship. Six tennis student-athletes were named to various all-state teams including Jose DeAndrade, Alex Kroon, Jonah Everson, Cole Herrman, Sam Rushton and Evan Kolman.

The girls golf team capped their outstanding season with a 9th place finish at the State Championship. The team was led by seniors Maddie Diedrich and Maddie Kaltenmark who were both first-team all HCC players this fall. ​

Band

Wonderful affiliation opportunities are also available through the performing arts programs.  Tom Landrum and Drum Major Mars Ferraro updated the board about the Marching Eagles 2023 season.

The Marching Eagles earned a 2023 Gold Rating at the ISSMA Prelims and 3rd place at the ISSMA State Finals.

Fall Musical Preview

Sam Chenoweth and Issac Spillman were unable to attend the meeting because they were in the final week of dress rehearsals for the Fall Musical – Rock of Ages (High School Edition). 

Principal Tim East played a short video to offer a preview of the show that will be on stage in the STAR Bank Performing Arts Center.

Preparing ZCHS Graduates for Success

Principal East concluded by thanking the students and educators who made time to attend the meeting and provide the community with a glimpse of the outstanding academic and affiliation opportunities Zionsville Community Schools provides for our students. 

Mr. East concluded with a formal announcement of his intent to retire at the end of this school year.

ZCS Superintendent Dr. Coffman commended Mr. East for his 38 years of dedicated service to public schools. She announced that both Tim and his wife, Jenni, will be retiring at the end of the year, and there will be ample time for celebration.

Furthermore, Dr. Coffman outlined the process and timeline for selecting the next Zionsville Community High School (ZCHS) Principal. She extended an invitation to families, students, and community members to actively participate in the process by providing input through a survey. Anyone interested in contributing feedback on what they believe to be critical for the future of ZCHS is encouraged to submit the form via the QR code provided below.

In new business:

• The 2023-2025 collective bargaining agreement was approved
• A retirement supplemental payment was approved
• The board granted permission to advertise construction projects
• The board approved a Rainy Day Fund transfer
• An AI-Powered Platform Grant was authorized by the board
• First Policy Reading (no action)

The next regular board meeting is December 11, 2023 in the Educational Services Center Boardroom, 900 Mulberry Street, Zionsville.

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