As summer winds down, Rebecca Coffman will embark on her first full year as superintendent Zionsville Community Schools when classes begin Aug. 14.
Coffman is a 2001 Butler University graduate who has played an active role in ZCS since 2001 when she became a middle school science teacher. She was the Zionsville Middle School assistant principal from 2007 to 2012, when she became principal of Union Elementary.
Coffman moved to Zionsville in 2013 with her husband, Chris Coffman, and three sons, who are students in the district.
“Being able to experience the schools through the lens of a parent has been a nice opportunity to immerse myself within the community,” Coffman said. “I appreciate every opportunity to meet new people and make new connections.”
Coffman was hired as superintendent in February following the retirement of Scott Robinson, who served as superintendent for 15 years.
“It has been an exciting transition,” Coffman said. “I take the challenges and responsibilities seriously when it comes to the needs of our students and community, and I feel honored to have been chosen for this position.”
As Coffman begins her first full year in the role, she looks forward to checking items off her to-do list and to leaving a mark on the corporation. She said her primary focus is on welcoming new families and students into the district.
“There are 206 new students in first through 12th grade and around 502 new preschoolers and kindergarten students this year,” Coffman said. “As of now, we have enrolled 829 new students in the district, which could still increase before school begins.”
In total enrollment, ZCS has about 8,000 students, and Coffman said the district is continuing to watch that before the school year officially begins. She said the district has been talking with developers and using enrollment projections for hiring and ordering decisions.
“Every year around the end of October or the beginning of November, we will do a thorough analysis and report to demonstrate our enrollment at every building and grade level in the district,” Coffman said. “I anticipate we will be right where we projected to be or slightly higher. We (are) projected to have 182 new students.”
Coffman said several projects and activities are underway to ensure a welcoming space for students.
“This year is exciting because we are opening our new 100,000-square-foot addition at Zionsville Community High School,” Coffman said. “We have also made many improvements at our other campuses, such as replacing roofing and flooring. We are also doing some playground replacements.”
The addition at ZCHS is a remodeling project that began in 2020 that includes new classroom spaces. According to Coffman, the first kitchen at ZCHS was constructed in 1967, but it has been renovated to accommodate art and business classes.
Per curriculum, Coffman says fifth-grade teachers are in the process of learning about new instructional math materials for the classroom.
“We have been encouraged by the state to hold off on ordering new materials until they have rolled out all of the information with new standards,” Coffman said. “Our teachers are getting engaged with the state level because they will be examining materials that will soon be available for all school corporations. Our educators will be a part of that review process for the future.”
As for state funding, Coffman said ZCS remains the least-funded district per pupil in the state.
“There is a funding formula with a specific amount and a component called the complexity index that looks at the number of students enrolled in the district who receive financial benefits,” Coffman said. “The amount of funding the district receives per student is determined by that percentage.”
The district is also promoting this year is the Eagle Ambassador Academy, a program designed to take you inside Zionsville Community Schools to gain in-depth knowledge of how the school system operates.
“We want to encourage residents interested in learning more about ZCS to apply to be in our first cohort of the Eagle Ambassador Academy,” Coffman said. “Every month we hope to break down different elements of the school corporation and spend time answering questions and sharing information.”
Not surprisingly, Coffman looks forward to the start of the school year.
“We are excited with some of the new businesses coming into Boone County and are looking at ways that we can develop strong partnerships so our students can learn about passions they may want to pursue after high school,” Coffman said. “I am excited about learning how to open more doors for our students. I hope we continue providing experiences for new families to feel welcome and be a part of what ZCS offers.”
Applications are available online through Aug. 25 for those who want to join the Eagle Ambassador Academy at forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=YxT1X2jfNEaULqThiXcOqiJtjJ7i9CtPkGHqomtuK-5UNUdZWFEyVEJEMzdEVThCU0ZMS1BVV1VPNS4u&origin=Invitation&channel=0&wdLOR=c66837CF6-0AF6-404A-B85F-808299CFC225.
More information about the school year can be found at zcsstrong.org/ZCS-School-Start-Guide-2023-2024/index.html.
CALENDAR SIDEBAR
- Aug. 9 – Aug. 11: Teachers return
- Aug. 14: School begins
- Sept. 4: Labor Day – no school
- Oct. 13: End of first quarter
- Oct 16 – Oct. 20: Fall Break – no school
- Nov. 22 – Nov. 24: Thanksgiving – no school
- Dec. 22: End of second quarter and first semester
- Dec. 23 – Jan. 8: Winter break – no school
- Jan. 8: Teacher day – no students
- Jan. 9: School resumes
- Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
- Feb. 19: Presidents Day holiday
- Mar. 15: End of third quarter
- Mar. 29 – Apr. 8: Spring Break – no school
- May 27: Memorial Day – no School
- May 31: End of fourth quarter and second semester
- June 3: Teacher records day – no school
- June 3 – June 7: Make-up days if needed
- June 9: Commencement
