The HSE first day of school arrives Wednesday with new backpacks and more than a few front-porch photographs.
For most students, Aug. 5 marks a return to familiar hallways and friends. For Hamilton Southeastern Schools’ kindergartners — the Class of 2039 — it is the beginning of an entirely new adventure.
Some children will hurry toward the entrance without looking back. Others may need one more hug or a parent’s reassuring promise that they will be waiting when the school day ends. Families, meanwhile, will balance pride and excitement with the realization that a major childhood milestone has arrived.
HSE offers full-day kindergarten at its 13 elementary schools. The day begins at 7:40 a.m. and ends at 2:10 p.m., giving the district’s youngest students their first experience with classroom routines, lunch at school and the important work of learning teachers’ and classmates’ names.
The first day is a full day for students at every grade level, according to the 2026–27 district calendar. High schools begin at 8:30 a.m., while intermediate and junior high schools start at 9:15 a.m.
HSE serves more than 21,000 students from preschool through 12th grade across Fishers and all of Fall Creek, Delaware and Wayne townships, including portions of Noblesville. Officials are asking families to be patient with transportation during the opening days as drivers and students become familiar with new routes.
A first day in a new school
Wednesday will bring more new beginnings than usual for some families.
New attendance boundaries for preschool through eighth grade take effect this year. The redistricting accompanied the expansion of Fishers Elementary School, which increases that building’s capacity from 450 to 700 students, while helping balance enrollment at schools across the district’s growing eastern side.
That means some returning students will experience their own version of a kindergarten first day: a different building, unfamiliar hallways and new classmates. HSE’s redistricting information says the changes are intended to manage growth, improve feeder patterns and make better use of available space.
Personal devices go away “bell to bell”
One of the most visible changes this year may be something students do not see: cellphones.
Indiana’s Senate Enrolled Act 78, which took effect July 1, strengthens the state’s previous classroom cellphone restrictions. Beginning this school year, public schools must limit access to personal wireless communication devices throughout the entire school day.
HSE’s new policy requires cellphones, smartwatches, smart glasses, gaming devices, personal tablets and laptops, digital cameras and personal earbuds or headphones to be powered off or silenced, stored and inaccessible from the opening bell through dismissal.
The restriction includes lunch, passing periods and study halls. Students may bring a phone to school, but they cannot access it during the day. Device use remains permitted on buses traveling to and from school when it does not interfere with safety.
Exceptions are available for documented medical needs, individualized education programs, Section 504 plans and certain language-learning needs. During an emergency, students may use a personal device when authorized by school staff or allowed by law.
Parents who need to contact a K-8 student should call the school’s main office. High school students may also communicate with families by email. HSE says violations may result in confiscation and progressive discipline, with a parent or guardian required to retrieve a confiscated device.
The restriction does not apply to district-approved instructional technology. More information is available in the district’s device policy FAQ.
Other changes for 2026–27
The district is continuing to phase out its bring-your-own-device program. Incoming students in grades K-2, 5-7 and 9-11 will receive district iPads without a rental fee and are not eligible to bring their own instructional devices.
HSE is also limiting student access to YouTube. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade may view videos only through teacher-provided links in Canvas or another approved platform. High school students will be limited to educational content or videos assigned by a teacher.
Families will see the return of consumable-material fees as well. The charges range from $25 for grades K-3 to as much as $125 for high school students, depending on grade level and course selections. Fees are waived for students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Junior high athletic participation costs $50 per sport, while the high school fee is $75. The district says financial need will not prevent a student from participating. Additional details are included in HSE’s back-to-school guide.
For all the changes, however, the heart of the first day remains wonderfully familiar.
Kindergartners will find their cubbies, practice walking in line and begin turning a room full of strangers into a classroom community. Older students will compare schedules, reconnect with friends and meet new teachers. Families will watch buses disappear around corners and begin counting the hours until they can ask the most important first-day question:
“How was school?”