Contract talks between Hamilton Southeastern Schools (HSE) and the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) ended without an agreement this week, as both sides continue to clash over compensation and district finances.

In a statement, district leaders said they could not meet the union’s pay proposals “while maintaining long-term fiscal stability,” pointing to declining enrollment, new state funding laws, and an ongoing budget deficit.

“We at HSE Schools remain committed to negotiating in good faith and are disappointed by the false narratives being promoted and the unproductive path by which the HSEA representatives have chosen to approach this process,” Superintendent Patrick Mapes said. He added that the school board must protect the district from “long-term deficits” while preserving classroom instruction.

According to the district, changes under Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA-1), combined with falling enrollment, are expected to reduce the Education Fund cash balance by about $10.7 million by early 2027. Without corrective action, HSE projects the fund could fall to a negative balance of about $6.2 million by January 2028.

HSE highlighted its current investments in teacher pay, including what it says is the highest starting teacher salary in Hamilton County and directing 84% of Education Fund revenue toward teacher salaries and benefits—well above the state-required 62%. The district also said 96% of referendum dollars go directly toward classroom instruction and educator positions.

The district’s statement emphasized that state law limits how teacher raises can be awarded and prohibits school corporations from bargaining agreements that could lead to deficit spending.

The teachers union issued a sharply different assessment of the day’s negotiations, accusing the administration of offering “an old, tired solution” that would require educators to give up hard-earned contributions toward their health savings accounts in exchange for minimal insurance relief.

“It was a slap in the face to our dedication and ingenuity,” the union wrote, thanking members for “holding the line” and rejecting what it characterized as repackaged concessions.

The HSEA also referenced Wednesday night’s school board meeting, where teachers and supporters attempted to speak about ongoing bargaining but were ruled out of order because the issue was not listed on the agenda.

HSE said it will continue negotiations with the union within the state-mandated timeline.

The Fishers Freight are gearing up for their second season in the Indoor Football League, set to once again play at the Fishers Event Center. The team has released its 2026 season schedule.

Fishers will open the season at home on March 14 against the Quad City Steamwheelers. The full season schedule is available in the graphic above.

In their inaugural 2025 season, the Freight started strong, winning their first two games. However, a string of turnovers and instability at the quarterback position led to nine straight losses. The team closed out the season on a high note, winning five consecutive games to finish with momentum.

Head Coach and General Manager Dixie Wooten said in a post-season podcast interview that he plans to retain most of the players from that five-game winning stretch. Wooten has also announced several free-agent signings during the offseason as the Freight prepare for year two.

Note there are two games late in the season against the “Pirates.”  This team has been located in Massachusetts but it expected to move, however, the new location has not yet been announced.

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.

The Indy Fuel stormed back from a three-goal deficit Wednesday night to defeat the Rapid City Rush 5–4 in overtime at the Fishers Event Center, taking the first of a three-game series this week.

After falling behind 4–1 midway through the second period, Indy responded with four unanswered goals to complete the comeback. Lee Lapid sealed the win just 1:02 into overtime with the Fuel’s only shot of the extra frame.

Rapid City jumped out to a 3–1 first-period lead on goals by Matt Hubbarde, Chaz Smedsrud, and Ryan Chyzowski, while Owen Robinson scored Indy’s lone goal of the opening frame. The Rush extended their lead to 4–1 in the second period on a goal from captain Ryan Wagner.

That’s when the Fuel took over. Sahil Panwar began the rally with his first goal at 14:26 of the second period, followed two minutes later by Kevin Lombardi’s tally that extended his point streak to six games. Panwar struck again early in the third, scoring on the power play to tie the game 4–4.

Indy outshot Rapid City 37–18 in regulation and 38–18 overall — their highest shot total of the season. Goaltender Owen Flores replaced starter Mitchell Weeks to begin the second period and stopped all shots he faced in relief.

The Fuel  will face the Rush again on Friday and Saturday here in Fishers to wrap up the three-game homestand.

Capacity challenges at the intermediate and junior high levels, combined with changing neighborhood densities, are making it difficult to draw new attendance boundaries for Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools.

Assistant Superintendent Bryan Rausch told the HSE School Board Wednesday night that these factors are complicating efforts to assign students to their closest or adjacent schools.

Andrew Bishop of Woolpert Consulting, the firm hired to assist with the redistricting process, reviewed details of the proposed maps with the board. During public comment, several parents criticized the proposals, saying their neighborhoods were not being treated fairly under the draft plan.

In response to board questions, Bishop noted that some neighborhoods could be reassigned without affecting other parts of the map, depending on available capacity at certain schools.

District data show a trend of more school-age children in the eastern part of the district and fewer in the west, creating an imbalance in building capacity.

To ease the transition, HSE plans to allow a “grandfathering” option for current 3rd, 5th, and 7th grade students. Those students may remain at their current schools for 4th, 6th, and 8th grade, respectively, if parents provide transportation and if space is available.

Bishop said the proposed plan is designed to serve the district’s needs for about seven years.

The school board is expected to give final approval to the new attendance boundaries in December. The changes would take effect beginning with the 2026–2027 school year.

You can view the proposed maps and the presentation by Bishop before the board at this link.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) teachers and their supporters walked out of Wednesday night’s school board meeting after Board President Juanita Albright ruled that comments about ongoing teacher contract negotiations were not allowed.

Several teachers had planned to speak about the state of bargaining between the HSE School District and the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA). However, Albright cited board policy, which limits public comments to topics listed on the meeting agenda. Because there was no specific agenda item related to collective bargaining, a speaker attempted to address the issue under the agenda item covering claims and payroll.

Albright determined that the item was not related to union negotiations and ruled the comment out of order. Following her decision, teachers and supporters—who filled the boardroom—stood and exited the meeting together.

At the conclusion of the meeting, some board members noted that their email accounts remain open to community members who wish to share feedback on any topic.

In other business, the board’s consent agenda—typically approved unanimously and covering routine items such as personnel reports, claims, and payroll—passed on a narrow 4–3 vote. Board members Latricia Schooley, Sarah Parks-Reese, and Suzanne Thomas voted no but did not explain their votes.

Within the personnel section of the consent agenda, the board approved the resignation of Riverside Intermediate School Principal Dana Kaminski, effective December 31. Tim Mankin was appointed as interim principal effective October 15.

There are always a number of issues to discuss with Monica Heltz as she leads the Fishers Health Department.  We discuss a wide variety of issues in the podcast linked below

A local political group and the local teachers union are at odds over transparency and priorities within the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District.

In a news release this week, Fishers One criticized the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA), saying the union’s voting process lacks transparency and excludes some teachers from contract decisions. The group said only dues-paying members were allowed to vote on a recent tentative contract, which was rejected by 86% of voting members. Fishers One argued that this policy prevents nonmembers from having a say in a contract that affects all teachers.

The release also raised concerns about the lack of publicly available information on HSEA’s ratification process and voting procedures, claiming union leadership has declined to clarify how membership and voting are handled.

In response, HSEA said Fishers One is attempting to “make this a political issue in order to cause discord amongst HSE teachers.” The union said its focus remains on ensuring that all bargaining unit members — not just HSEA members — receive fair pay and benefits.

“The real issue,” the union’s statement said, “is teachers taking home less pay this year than they did last year.” HSEA said it continues to advocate for a contract that “keeps all teachers whole,” regardless of union membership.

Negotiations between HSEA and the district have been ongoing following the rejection of the tentative contract.

Real American Freestyle (RAF), billed as the first unscripted professional wrestling league, will bring its next live event — RAF04 — to the Fishers Event Center on Saturday, Dec. 20.

The 10-match card will feature a heavyweight title showdown between reigning champion Wyatt Hendrickson and top contender Mason Parris. The matchup was first teased at RAF01 in Cleveland, when Parris publicly challenged Hendrickson following his dominant win over Olympian Mostafa Aly Elsayed Gabr.

“When two hammers like Wyatt and Mason meet, it’s not just a match, it’s a moment,” said Izzy Martinez, RAF co-founder and chief operating officer. “These are the matchups fans dream about, and RAF04 delivers it live in Fishers.”

Tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 14, at 10 a.m. at FishersEventCenter.com. The event will also stream live on FOX Nation as part of RAF’s expanded media partnership with the network. Attendees will have a chance to meet the wrestlers during a post-event meet and greet.

RAF launched earlier this year and has quickly gained attention in the combat sports world, combining elements of wrestling, MMA, and live entertainment. Previous events were held in Cleveland, State College, and Chicago.

“RAF04 represents a milestone, not just for the athletes stepping on the mat, but for everyone who’s helped bring this vision to life,” said RAF CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein. “Closing 2025 with Wyatt vs. Mason feels like the right way to set the stage for what’s ahead.”