The Spirit of Community:
Running into the fall season!
Thank you for reading the ZCS Digest
ZCS Digest September 2026
ZCS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rebecca Coffman
ZCS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rebecca Coffman
A Message from the Superintendent
There is something special about the fall season in Zionsville Community Schools. The school year has found its rhythm, the seasons are changing, and across ZCS, students are immersed in learning and activity.
You can see that energy throughout this month’s ZCS Digest. Our elementary students laced up their shoes for Jog-A-Thon. Our schools have celebrated culture, community, and Homecoming. ZCHS SOARS students continued a favorite fall tradition with the annual Mum Sale, our student-athletes are representing ZCS across the state, and we are sharing the story of Zionsville alumnus Dr. Jim Haines and the path that brought him home.
Together, these moments tell a much bigger story about our schools and the people who make them special.
As we celebrate all that is happening, we are also looking ahead. Zionsville Community Schools will have an operating referendum question on the November 3 ballot. The current operating referendum provides funding for approximately one in three ZCS teachers, with 100% of those dollars supporting teacher salaries and benefits. That funding is an important part of maintaining class sizes, supporting academic programming and protecting property values. We encourage you to continue learning about school funding and the question that will appear on the ballot.
Fall always seems to move quickly. I hope you will take a few minutes to slow down, read the stories, and enjoy some of the people and experiences that make this season, and our schools, so special.
Thank you for continuing to be part of the ZCS story.
Dr. Rebecca Coffman
Superintendent
Zionsville Community Schools
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2026 State of the Schools event hosted by the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Zionsville Education Foundation. We enjoyed sharing the story of Zionsville Community Schools!
Racing into Fall
Jog-A-Thon brings students, families, and elementary school communities together for one of ZCS’s favorite fall traditions.
There may be no better way to race into the fall season than with one of our favorite elementary school traditions: Jog-A-Thon!
Across ZCS, students laced up their shoes and found their strides at their schools for a day filled with school spirit and encouragement from the sidelines. Behind every lap is something even bigger.
Jog-A-Thon is the major fundraiser for elementary school PTOs, whose work supports students, teachers, and schools throughout the year. The impact of a single day supports students and schools all year long, helping to provide experiences and opportunities that enrich learning and strengthen our school communities.
Thank you to our PTO volunteers who give countless hours to make events like this possible, to the families and community members who donate, and to everyone who cheers, encourages and supports our schools.
Jog-A-Thon is a celebration of our students, but it is also a reminder of what happens when a community shows up for its schools.
What a way to race into fall!
Fall Color, Community Support
The annual ZCHS SOARS Fall Mum Sale brings together work experience, tradition, and community support.
From running into fall to filling it with color, another favorite ZCS tradition brought students, staff, families, and community members together this month.
ZCHS SOARS students hosted their annual Fall Mum Sale in partnership with Jones Greenhouse, selling 1,103 mums. The annual fundraiser supports the SOARS program and gives ZCHS students valuable opportunities to build independence and employment skills. From preparing and organizing orders to working alongside community members, staff, and parents during pickup, students gain hands-on experience in communication, responsibility, teamwork, and customer service.
Thank you to everyone who purchased a mum and supported our students. You help make this annual tradition possible.
Strong schools. Strong community.
See highlights from the ZCHS SOARS Fall Mum Sale
When the Community Becomes the Classroom
Eagle Elementary kindergarten students discover that learning can happen just beyond their school doors.
Let's go on a walking tour
Throughout this issue, there are reminders of the many ways our schools and community connect. For Eagle Elementary kindergarten students, that connection recently meant taking their learning into the community.
Students made their way from Eagle Elementary School into the community with iPads in hand, using their five senses to explore their surroundings and photograph the beauty they noticed along the way.
But this was more than a walk through town. Local business owners welcomed students inside, giving them an opportunity to meet the people behind familiar places and see businesses at work.
For our youngest learners, a short walk from school opened up a bigger classroom.
We are grateful to the local businesses and community members who welcomed our students, shared their time, and helped turn a fall walk through the community into a morning of learning and discovery.
Sometimes, the community becomes an extension of the the classroom.
Looking Ahead: College GO! Week
ZCHS students explore possibilities, make plans, and take the next steps toward their futures.
College GO! Week brought the future into focus at Zionsville Community High School, with students across all grade levels thinking about what might come next.
Counselors worked alongside seniors as they completed college applications and navigated important next steps. During lunch, seniors shared where they plan to apply, creating a snapshot of the many different paths members of the Class of 2027 are considering.
And those conversations begin well before senior year. Underclassmen signed up for opportunities to meet with college admissions counselors, ask questions, and begin exploring possibilities for their own futures.
From exploring options to completing applications, College GO! Week is about helping students imagine what is possible and making sure they have the support and resources to begin building the path to get there.
For our students, the future is filled with possibilities. And sometimes, the first step is simply beginning to explore them.
There’s No Week Like Homecoming Week
Homecoming week brings Eagles of all ages together in a celebration of school spirit and community.
Homecoming is always a special time in Zionsville Community Schools, and some of the exciting moments happen outside of the Friday night game.
Throughout Homecoming week, ZCHS football players visited elementary schools across the district, signing autographs, talking with younger students, and sharing a little Eagle spirit with some of their biggest fans. Elementary student visits brought plenty of smiles and excitement. Our high school athletes offered an opportunity to be role models for our younger Eagles who are following in their footsteps.
That same energy filled ZCHS as students came together for the annual Homecoming pep rally. It was a loud and excited gymnasium full of spirited Eagles!
From elementary hallways to a packed high school gym, Homecoming offered a wonderful reminder that being an Eagle is something our students grow into together.
This is community!
Always an Eagle: Dr. Jim Haines
From Zionsville student to local eye doctor, one alumnus shares the story of a path that ultimately led him home.
A conversation with Zionsville Eye Doctor Dr. Jim Haines
Homecoming brings together ZCS students, families, community members, and alumni, a reminder that being part of the ZCS story does not end at graduation.
In our latest Always an Eagle feature, we reconnect with Zionsville alumnus Dr. Jim Haines and look at the experiences that helped shape his journey from student to professional and ultimately brought him back to the community he has always called home.
Watch the video and read the full story to see Zionsville through the lens of one of our own.
Once an Eagle. Always an Eagle.
Celebrating ZCHS National Merit Semifinalists
ZCHS seniors earn national recognition for academic achievement.
Congratulations to the Zionsville Community High School seniors named National Merit Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.
These students are among more than 16,000 high school seniors nationwide to earn Semifinalist recognition, representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors.
We are proud to celebrate each student and the years of hard work and academic commitment behind this well-earned individual achievement.
Congratulations to our ZCHS National Merit Semifinalists!
Back Row, L-R: Ishan Pande, Ansh Bansal, Isaac Kiell, Andrew Knudsen, Benjamin Bruggers, Jacob Laboe Front Row, L-R: Broderick Cornell, Simar Mutti, Madelyn Richmond, Allison Bruggers, Kieran Rosenfeld, Jude Moosbrugger, Connor Jones
Back Row, L-R: Ishan Pande, Ansh Bansal, Isaac Kiell, Andrew Knudsen, Benjamin Bruggers, Jacob Laboe Front Row, L-R: Broderick Cornell, Simar Mutti, Madelyn Richmond, Allison Bruggers, Kieran Rosenfeld, Jude Moosbrugger, Connor Jones
Celebrating the World Within Our Schools
Stonegate Elementary School students and families share cultures, traditions, and experiences during the school’s International Fair.
Inside the Stonegate Elementary School International Fair
Some of the richest learning opportunities in our schools come from learning about one another. The Stonegate Elementary School brought together students and families to celebrate the many cultures represented throughout the school community.
Families shared traditions, food, clothing, music, and more, giving students the opportunity to experience places and cultures from around the world while learning more about the classmates and families who make up their own school.
It was an evening of learning, sharing, and celebrating, and a beautiful reminder that the experiences and traditions each family brings help make our schools stronger.
Many cultures. One school community.
The Gift of Time
ZCS Senior VIP Readers build connections with young learners one story at a time.
Some of the best ways a community supports its schools are also the simplest.
Across all six ZCS elementary schools, Senior VIP Readers spend time with elementary students, sharing books and conversation. This time we caught a glimpse of readers and students at Trailside Elementary School.
During this time, students build reading confidence and develop relationships with caring community members. The program is about reading, but it is also about connection. It brings generations together and reminds our students that there is an entire community invested in their learning.
As we close this month’s ZCS Digest feature stories, we are grateful for our Senior VIP Readers and for all the families, volunteers, businesses, and community members who give their time, talents, and support to our schools.
These connections are part of what makes this community so special.
Strong schools. Strong community.
Let's Talk ZCS
Coffee, a walk, and a conversation with Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Coffman
Do you have questions about ZCS finances? Do you want to better understand how school funding works or what’s ahead for our district?
Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Coffman and Chief Financial Officer Regina May would love to connect.
Join an upcoming Coffee Talk, Walk and Talk, or bring the conversation to your group. HOAs, neighborhood groups, book clubs, community organizations, and others are also invited to reach out and schedule a time for Dr. Coffman to visit, share information, and answer questions.
Coffee. A walk. Your next meeting. Let’s talk ZCS.
Understanding School Finance
ZCS expertise helps bring a complex topic to life for communities across Indiana
There’s a new resource available to help make the sometimes-complex world of school finance a little easier to understand.
ZCS Chief Financial Officer Regina May, SFO, contributed her expertise to a statewide school finance video created in partnership with the Central Indiana Education Services Center (CIESC), Indiana School Public Relations Association (INDSPRA) and Indiana Association of School Business Officials (IASBO).
Mrs. May joined school finance and communications professionals from across Indiana in helping develop a resource designed to explain how public schools are funded and why understanding school finance matters.
We are proud to see our CFO's knowledge and expertise contributing not only to ZCS, but to a resource that can help families and communities across the state better understand public education funding.
School finance can be complicated. Take a few minutes to watch the video and learn more.
Campaign Reminders
Please review this important reminder regarding campaign-related activities, materials, and expectations on ZCS school campuses. This information and guidance can be found at the link below.
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled."
Plutarch
Finance Information
ZCS: About School Finance
In response to evolving legislation and funding complexities, the district recently launched a refreshed finance section on the ZCS website. The updated resource explains Indiana school funding sources, enrollment-based revenue, the role of local referenda, and long-term financial planning in a more accessible and interactive format. The site includes visual tools and will continue to be updated as legislative changes occur.
ZCS: 2026 Operating Referendum
The district has an informational referendum webpage designed to provide clear and transparent information about the proposed operating referendum. The site serves as a central resource for families, staff, and community members, outlining why the referendum is being considered, how school funding works in Indiana, and the potential impact on students, programs, and district operations.
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