Hamilton Southeastern Schools and the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association have reached a tentative agreement on a 2026-27 teacher contract that would increase eligible teachers’ base salaries by $1,225, with another $603 dependent on voters approving the district’s replacement operating referendum Nov. 3.

The agreement follows a year in which teacher salaries remained unchanged. If the referendum passes, the combined base salary increase for eligible teachers would total $1,828.

A public hearing on the tentative agreement is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. The school board is scheduled to consider ratification Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m.

“After having to hold salaries steady last year, we’re glad to be able to offer our teachers an increase,” Superintendent Matt Kegley said in the district’s announcement. “I want to thank HSEA and our district team for the time and work they put into these negotiations. There was good collaboration throughout the process, and both sides worked hard to reach an agreement.”

To qualify for the general base salary increases, teachers must have been employed for at least 120 days during the 2025-26 school year and still be employed by HSE when the contract is ratified. Teachers who were on leave for the entire 2025-26 school year would not qualify. The agreement also ties the increases to an evaluation sufficient to maintain employment and the district’s need to retain teachers.

Starting pay under the salary schedule for teachers hired after ratification would increase by $750. Passage of the referendum would add another $250, bringing that increase to $1,000. Teachers hired for the 2026-27 school year before ratification would receive a $500 upward adjustment to their starting base salaries.

The agreement includes several other compensation provisions:

• A $200 payment for bargaining unit members with a confirmed early literacy endorsement by ratification. That payment would not be subject to the general raise’s eligibility or factor requirements.
• A $4,000 supplemental payment upon ratification for employees who earned a master’s degree between Dec. 15, 2024, and ratification.
• A $500 supplemental payment for qualifying employees who started with the district between Jan. 1, 2026, and the end of the 2025-26 school year, began working during that school year and remain employed at ratification, but otherwise would not qualify for the general base salary increases.

The proposal also addresses leave and teacher safety.

Effective June 30, 2027, certified bargaining unit members would receive 14 paid time off days each school year. Teachers would have to use those days before drawing on accumulated sick leave. Medical certification would be required after three consecutive days of accumulated sick leave.

The sick leave bank provisions would allow approval of up to 90 days, supported by a doctor’s note. Updated medical certification would be required to support additional days beyond those originally certified. Enrollment would be available from the start of school through Oct. 1, with employees hired after that date given 30 days to enroll.

Teachers physically harmed by a student would receive paid administrative leave for the remainder of the school day. The same provision would apply when administrators determine a student has made a bona fide, credible threat of physical violence or serious intimidation.

Before returning to the classroom, the teacher and building administrator would meet to discuss safety concerns and support measures, with a safety plan developed when appropriate. For incidents near the end of the school day, the superintendent or a designee could approve paid administrative leave for the following school day.

Bereavement leave would have to be used within one year of the death.

The district’s announcement also cited newly approved health insurance rates representing an investment of nearly $2.5 million.

Beginning in 2027, the agreement would provide an additional health savings account contribution for married couples who are both HSE certified bargaining unit employees. A $20,000 pool would be divided evenly among qualifying couples, who must notify the central office by Oct. 30 through an administration-provided survey.

The proposal would also add extracurricular compensation for high school esports, a student entrepreneurial class sponsor and a high school guidance counselor department chair, while increasing compensation multipliers for high school We the People sponsors and Guiding Coalition positions.

The district directs residents to its public notices page for the tentative agreement.

The nearly two-acre dog park at the Fishers Community Center will open to members Monday, Oct. 19, with a grand opening celebration scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Memberships are already sold out, but residents can join a waitlist for future openings.

The off-leash park will operate year-round and feature water stations, shaded areas and a separate section for small dogs weighing less than 35 pounds, according to a city news release.

Dog park memberships cost $72 for six months and will be offered for purchase twice a year. They are separate from community center memberships, which cover amenities such as the fitness center, aquatics facility and gymnasiums.

“A community dog park has been identified as a top request from residents since we conducted a community-wide survey back in 2021,” Mayor Scott Fadness said in the release.

The Oct. 27 celebration begins at 1 p.m. and will include brief remarks from Fadness and a ribbon cutting. The Humane Society for Hamilton County will be on-site, and Speck’s Pet Supplies will distribute gift bags to attendees.

The dog park’s opening comes shortly before the Fishers Community Center, Strengthened by IU Health, marks its first anniversary Nov. 1.

More information and the membership waitlist are available on the Fishers Community Center dog park website.

I spend much of my time covering local news in Fishers, but two longtime interests have never left me: movies and baseball. Both are part of this edition of Fridays With Larry.

I begin with a look at the movie business, from the experience of going to a theater to the questions artificial intelligence raises for filmmakers. There’s a local connection, too: the Heartland Film Festival.

Then I reach into the archives of Hamilton County Goes to the Movies, the podcast Adam Aasen and I once recorded together. You’ll hear Adam’s 2017 interview with director Rob Reiner about LBJ, comedy and The Princess Bride.

I close with some baseball memories and my thoughts on Shoeless Joe Jackson. His story raises a question that reaches beyond the game: What responsibility comes with knowing something is wrong and staying silent?

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

You can watch the video or listen to the audio using these links or the links below. Thanks for being here.

Ferras Abdalla says his two daughters are a major reason he is running for the Hamilton Southeastern School Board. One already attends HSE schools, and the other will follow when she is old enough.

Abdalla, a candidate in District 2, joins me for the latest installment in my series of podcasts with HSE School Board candidates. We discuss school finances, supporting teachers, academic priorities and how board members should listen to the people they represent.

His background in property management includes working with boards, managing budgets and bringing people with different viewpoints together. Abdalla says that experience would help him serve on the school board, where he wants to emphasize cooperation and transparency.

The HSE referendum is an important part of our conversation. Abdalla supports it, pointing to teacher compensation and retention as his primary reasons. But he says conversations with voters have given him a better understanding of concerns about the cost, including those raised by residents without children in the schools.

I also ask how he would approach spending decisions. Abdalla suggests reviewing vendor contracts, seeking competitive bids and exploring opportunities to work with other school districts on purchasing. If the referendum fails, he would look for additional support through sponsorships, private-sector partnerships and alumni donations.

On academics, Abdalla praises the work of HSE teachers and staff while calling for more opportunities for students to explore skilled trades. He sees standardized tests as one useful measure of learning, while recognizing that test scores cannot capture everything students know or can do.

Supporting teachers, in his view, also means giving them opportunities to be heard, access to district leadership and a positive working environment.

We discuss how to make the board more accessible to parents, how to weigh differing views from families, teachers and students, and where to draw the line between board oversight and the superintendent’s day-to-day responsibilities. Student safety, mental health and making students from different backgrounds feel welcome are also part of the conversation.

My thanks to Citizens State Bank for sponsoring this episode of LarryInFishers.

Listen to my full conversation with Ferras Abdalla at this link, or the link below.

The Indy Fuel’s new head coach will have to wait a little longer to make his debut behind the bench at the Fishers Event Center.

The Fuel tell LarryInFishers that Jesse Messier is not expected to coach the team’s season home opener Friday, Oct. 16, against the Wheeling Nailers, or Saturday, when the Cincinnati Cyclones visit Fishers. Messier is awaiting immigration authorization to begin his duties.

Assistant coach Christian Horn will handle both head and assistant coaching duties until Messier is cleared.

On Oct. 8, Fuel President Sean Hallett said the late-offseason departure of former head coach Duncan Dalmao pushed back the team’s immigration filing.

“The unexpected departure of our previous head coach, Duncan Dalmao, late in the offseason meant we submitted our immigration application later than we typically would,” Hallett said. “While that timing did not cause the processing delay in and of itself, it has left us with less flexibility to accommodate this unforeseen development.”

The Fuel announced Dalmao’s exit in mid-August. He left to become an assistant coach with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League, one level below the NHL. Dalmao won 159 regular-season games with the Fuel, the most of any coach in Indianapolis hockey history, and led the team to four straight Kelly Cup Playoff appearances.

The Fuel named Messier the fifth head coach in franchise history about a week later, on Aug. 21. Messier spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison, one of Indy’s Central Division rivals. He previously served four seasons as an assistant with the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit and four seasons as an assistant at York University, where he helped the program win the 2017 Queen’s Cup. In 2023-24, he guided the Kam River Fighting Walleye to a 39-9-1 record, a regular-season championship and a league final appearance.

Hallett said the organization is working to speed up the process, including contacting the office of U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., whose staff he described as “extremely responsive” in trying to help.

“We have confidence in Coach Horn’s ability to lead the team during this interim period and look forward to Jesse assuming his responsibilities as soon as necessary authorization is received,” Hallett added.

Friday’s opener marks the start of the Fuel’s 13th season and third at the Fishers Event Center. Puck drop is set for 7:15 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Fuel are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools voters will decide a referendum question November 3, and there are several questions worth exploring before casting a ballot. Why is the district returning to voters after passing a referendum in 2023? What would this proposal cost homeowners? What happens if voters say no?

For this podcast, I am joined by Laura Cole, chair of Advance HSE, the political action committee advocating passage; Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley; and Assistant Superintendent for Finance Tim Brown.

Much of our conversation centers on the difference between the maximum tax rate voters would authorize and the rate school officials intend to use initially. The proposal would replace the existing operating referendum and allow a maximum rate of 36 cents per $100 of assessed value over eight years. Brown says the district plans to use a rate of 22 cents in 2027.

In the interview, Brown estimates the increase for the median homeowner at about $26 for the entire year in 2027. Individual amounts would vary. The district’s referendum information page also lists that estimate and provides a calculator for homeowners to check their own property.

Brown explains how changes in Indiana’s property tax law reduce the revenue HSE can collect under its existing referendum, even as property values grow. He also addresses why the tax impact described on the ballot differs substantially from the district’s first-year estimate.

Kegley discusses where the money would go, with teacher salaries and benefits accounting for the largest share, along with school safety and student behavioral health supports. He says the proposal is intended to sustain services the district already provides.

We also discuss the approximately $7.8 million in budget reductions district leaders describe in the interview, declining enrollment and the staffing changes already made. I ask what additional reductions might follow a referendum defeat. Kegley and Brown say programs and staffing could be affected, although they do not identify a final list of cuts.

Cole explains the work of Advance HSE, the people supporting its campaign and how she responds to residents concerned about property taxes. That includes a question facing many households in our community: Why support the referendum if you no longer have children in the schools?

This episode is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

Listen to the full conversation at this link or the link below.

The Hamilton Southeastern school board recognized 14 high school seniors Wednesday night for being named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Nine students attend Fishers High School and five attend Hamilton Southeastern High School. The students and their families also gathered for recognition breakfasts at the two schools, according to the district’s board agenda material.

National Merit semifinalists represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. They are among the highest-scoring students in their state on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, known as the PSAT/NMSQT.

The students recognized are:

Hamilton Southeastern High School

• Thomas Bezza
• Liam Kenyon
• Tyler Orris
• William Pence
• Hojin Shin

Fishers High School

• Asher Burgoyne
• Cooper Chapple
• Sashi Ganapaneni
• Owen Jerrell
• Abeer Khan
• Abiola Olutayo
• Allison Svilenov
• Seth Tennekoon
• Ben Wu

The semifinalists now have the opportunity to advance to the finalist level and compete for approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth about $24 million, according to the district. The scholarships will be awarded in spring 2027.

Fishers and Hamilton County could see a few severe thunderstorms Thursday, Oct. 15, with damaging winds and isolated flooding the main concerns, according to the National Weather Service in Indianapolis.

The agency’s Hazardous Weather Outlook, issued at 5:21 a.m. Thursday, includes Hamilton County and much of central Indiana. Forecasters expect numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms during the day, with a few storms potentially becoming severe.

The outlook does not specify an arrival time for storms in Fishers or forecast rainfall totals.

Friday, Oct. 16, is expected to bring wind gusts peaking at 25 to 35 mph. By Saturday night, Oct. 17, forecasters say widespread frost is possible.

That frost potential could affect sensitive outdoor plants. The weather service notes that frost can damage unprotected vegetation, making the weekend forecast worth watching for residents with gardens or plants still outdoors. The outlook describes frost as a possibility, rather than a certainty.

For Thursday’s storms, residents with outdoor plans should be prepared to move inside when thunder is heard. The weather service recommends sheltering in a substantial building or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with the windows closed, then waiting at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before returning outside.

Drivers should avoid flooded roads and never go around barriers. Water can hide damage to the road underneath, and just 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars, according to the weather service’s flood safety guidance.

A hazardous weather outlook identifies potential weather threats over the next seven days; it is not itself a severe thunderstorm warning. Residents should monitor updated forecasts and any watches or warnings as conditions develop.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools reported an official enrollment of 19,849 students to the state of Indiana, the count that determines how much state tuition support the district will receive.

Tim Brown told the HSE School Board on Wednesday night that the official count landed within a few students of the district’s projection of 19,850.

The figure is down 440 students from last year’s official count of 20,289. It is the district’s seventh consecutive year of declining enrollment and the first time in a decade that HSE has dropped below 20,000 students. Enrollment peaked in 2019.

Because Indiana funds schools on a per-student basis, fewer students means less state money. Brown told the board’s finance committee in September that even with a roughly 1.46% increase in the per-student rate for 2027, the enrollment loss would leave HSE with about $582,000 less than this year.

No public comment on 2027 budget

No one spoke at the legally required public hearing on the proposed 2027 budget. The plan is unchanged at $323.9 million, with a tax rate of $1.1912 per $100 of assessed value. The 2026 rate is $1.1476.

The legally advertised budget is higher, at $325.9 million with a tax rate of $1.2517. Districts routinely advertise numbers above their expected spending because the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance can lower a budget during its review but cannot raise it.

New health insurance options

The board approved 2027 health insurance rates for certified staff (teachers), support staff and administrators.

Employees will choose from six plans during open enrollment in November. Three are new plans tied to the Community Health Network provider system. These plans will cost employees less, while the more traditional, higher-cost plans remain available.

Brown projects about half of employees will choose one of the Community plans.

Health insurance costs have been a major issue at HSE. Last year’s teacher contract included no base salary increase but provided a one-time district contribution to teachers’ health savings accounts to help offset steep premium increases.

HSE is now bargaining a new contract with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association, the local teachers union. Brown said the union has certified its support for the health insurance changes.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools students led comparable districts in third-grade reading and set district records for Advanced Placement success, administrators told the HSE Board of School Trustees on Wednesday night.

 Assistant Superintendent of Foundational Learning Dr. Danielle Fetters-Thompson and Jason Urban, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, presented the district’s annual academic report. It covered state reading and math tests, the SAT and AP exams.

Reading

HSE posted a 97.3% pass rate on IREAD-3, Indiana’s foundational literacy test. That rate was the highest among similar districts. The district defines those as the other Hoosier Crossroads Conference schools plus Carmel and Center Grove.

HSE tested 1,426 students, more than any other district in Indiana. Among districts testing more than 558 students, HSE had the highest pass rate in the state. Eleven of the district’s 13 elementary schools met or exceeded the state’s 95% goal, and three schools had a 100% pass rate.

Ten of 11 student demographic groups improved over last year, and every group passed at 90% or higher. Black students passed at 95.5% and special education students at 86%, each the highest among comparable districts. The pass rate for multiracial students dipped three-tenths of a percentage point, and Fetters-Thompson said the district will address that decline.

Students first take IREAD in second grade. This year, 83% of HSE second-graders passed. That lets teachers focus interventions on the remaining students from the first day of third grade.

“That culture in our buildings has become one of: all students will become proficient readers,” Fetters-Thompson said.

ILEARN

Indiana redesigned ILEARN for 2025-26. Students now take three checkpoint tests during the year, followed by a shorter spring assessment. Because the test changed, the Indiana Department of Education has said results should not be compared with prior years.

HSE students in grades 3-8 were 66.4% proficient in English/language arts and 68.1% proficient in math. Both figures were more than 24 percentage points above the state averages. Seventh- and eighth-graders ranked first in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference in three of four content areas.

Among comparable districts, HSE placed third, behind two districts. “We’ve got some work to do,” Fetters-Thompson said.

Board member Sarah Parks Reese asked her to stress that those percentages are not letter grades. Fetters-Thompson said ILEARN closely tracks the National Assessment of Educational Progress, one of the most demanding tests in the country.

SAT and AP

All Indiana juniors take the SAT. HSE ranked third among comparable districts and moved up one spot in evidence-based reading and writing. Urban pointed to strong growth at Hamilton Southeastern High School.

Urban called it a “banner year” for AP. At Fishers High School, 58% of last year’s graduates earned at least one AP score of 3 or higher, a district record. A score of 3 typically earns college credit. Hamilton Southeastern High School posted a record 89.3% AP success rate.

Across the district, the number of AP exams taken rose 25% from 2025. The number of students taking exams rose 14%, and the number of qualifying scores rose 26%. Urban said success rates have climbed each year even as the district has opened AP courses to more students.

AP Precalculus was offered for the first time last year. It produced more exams than any other AP course and a 98% success rate.

“Strong results are worth celebrating, but they also show us where we can continue to improve,” Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley said in a statement released during the meeting.