By Nancy Edwards
Budget
The HSE School Board meeting approved the school system budget for 2014-2015. The school tax rate will be reduced by 2 percent.
The HSE Budget Study Committee will be discussing ways to save money for the next calendar school year, according to Superintendent of HSE Schools, Mike Smith. The panel will examine ideas to reduce expenditures in all funds by $5,000,000 over the course of two years.
The committee will meet on a regular basis beginning Oct. 30 and continue until spring when final recommendations are made. During a work session held Nov. 20, Superintendent Smith will discuss some of his ideas with the board.
Focus group
Leah McGrath from Sease, Gerig and Associates presented a proposal for gathering community feedback and developing a communication strategy regarding budget reductions. The consultant organization recommended conducting focus groups for a broad audience. The focus group may be conducting a survey for their audience. The board approved the plan.
School test results
The Curriculum Team presented ISTEP, NWEA, and IREAD data and identified strengths, areas needed to improve, goals linked to individual school improvement plans and the next steps at the district level to address growth areas.
The end-of-course results showed a steady increase in the passing rate for both ELA and math overall.
Principal receives award
Fishers High School Principal Jason Urban was recognized by the board for being named the District 5 Principal of the Year. District 5 includes the following counties: Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan, and Shelby.
Brooks to visit FHS
Congresswoman Susan Brooks will make an appearance at Fishers High School on Nov. 7 at 1 p.m.