To provide an idea of the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools budget, let’s compare the city’s proposed 2024 spending plan with that of the local school corporation.

The City of Fishers, the 5th largest in the state by population, is proposing a total budget of roughly $164 million in 2024.  The HSE Schools are looking at a 2024 spending plan totaling $296 million.

The HSE School Board did a deep dive Tuesday night into the various components that make-up the revenue and spending for the 4th-largest school district in the state.

One issue that was first raised at the recent Budget & Finance Committee meeting is the reduction in the student count.  The state requires school districts to report the first student count of the school year on October 2nd.  HSE Schools are projecting a student count of 20,931 students, down 221 from the count one year ago.

The state funds school districts on a per-student basis, but HSE Schools Chief Financial Officer Katy Dowling tells LarryInFishers there should be no reason to cut the budget, at least during this school year.  She added that assumes the referendum on the November 7 ballot passes.

The enrollment numbers also reveal fewer students in the lower grades and more students in higher grades.  Dowling says this is consistent with the enrollment projections provided by demographer Dr. Jerry McKibben in his most recent report.