Seventh- and eighth-grade students across Hamilton Southeastern Schools are learning to innovate one brick at a time through a new robotics elective now available at every junior high.

The hands-on course, developed in partnership with LEGO® Education, introduces students to engineering, coding, and design thinking using LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime kits. Working in teams, students design, build, and program robotic models to perform real-world tasks while strengthening their problem-solving, collaboration, and technical skills.

District officials say the elective connects directly to future-focused fields such as advanced manufacturing, engineering, and computer science.

All HSE robotics teachers—Theodore Villanyi at Fall Creek Junior High, Seth Zook at Fishers Junior High, Christopher Hamon at Riverside Junior High, and Eric Brown at Hamilton Southeastern Intermediate/Junior High—completed specialized LEGO® Education training to ensure consistent, high-quality instruction aligned with academic standards.

The initiative supports the district’s “Journey of a Student” vision by providing engaging and relevant learning experiences that help students think critically, create confidently, and prepare for the challenges of the future.

Watch the video about this program produced by HSE Schools at this link.

In other items before the school board Wednesday night:

–A new boiler will be installed at Harrison Parkway Elementary School.  The current unit is 27 years old and not energy efficient.

–The board voted to change language governing the 403(b) and 457 retirement plans for district employees, adhering to recent changes in federal tax law.  Starting in 2026, workers will have the option of saving for retirement in a Roth program, where contributions are not deductible but the earnings are not taxed in retirement if legal requirements are met.

–Assistant Superintendent Jason Urban presented several new course proposals, listed below.  The board is expected to approve the proposal at the December meeting.