A precinct is the most local form of politics.  Precincts are used for voting.  Generally, both major parties have precinct committeemen and committeewomen.

With the census data finally in hand, it is time to redraw precinct lines in Hamilton County.

“We typically do all of this in June or July,” says Hamilton County Clerk Kathy Williams in a county news release. “But with the delay in the census, approval of new house, senate and congressional districts was delayed. Our office has been working tirelessly to get these turned around in a timely fashion.”

The Hamilton County Commissioners made precinct changes official on October 25th.

According to Williams, nearly every precinct in Hamilton County will change. That includes size, location, annexation or name.  Hamilton County voters will get a notification of their precinct changes during the month of December.

Indiana is required by state and federal law to redraw Indiana’s Statehouse and congressional maps following the nationwide census every 10 years. The Indiana General Assembly approved the new congressional and state legislative district lines on October 1st. Governor Eric Holcomb signed them into law three days later.

State law dictates that each precinct must have at least 600 eligible voters and no more than 2,000. A precinct is not allowed to cross a congressional or state legislative district line.

State Senate and House of Representatives district lines must be in place for candidates to meet residence requirements by November 8, 2021. Article 4 Section 7 of the Indiana Constitution requires candidates to be inhabitants of the district for one year before the November 2022 General Election.

Hamilton County Commissioners are required by state law to review and redraw, if necessary, commissioner and county council districts. If needed, changes must be filed with the county clerk no later than Friday, December 31, 2021. City and town councils are required by state law to review and redraw, if necessary, their election districts no later than November 8, 2022. And school boards have until December 31, 2021 to review their school board districts that vote by district.

After many starts and stop along the process, Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools have been provided a grant of $326,930 toward buying an electric-powered school bus.  The item has been preliminarily on the school board agenda several times but not ready at past meeting time.

Wednesday night, HSE Transportation Director Zach McKinney said this new electric bus will replace a diesel powered unit, which is at the end of its useful life.  The electric bus is to be delivered no later than December of 2022, but McKinney says the bus could be here earlier, possibly in time for the start of school in August, 2022.

Bus drivers will apply to drive the new bus and one will be selected to drive the  electric vehicle.  McKinney added that the electric bus has a much quieter engine, meaning bus drivers will be able to hear what goes inside the bus among the students much better compared to the diesel-powered buses.

The board approved the transaction unanimously.

In other school board news from Wednesday night:

–Final unanimous approval was given the the 2022 school district budget.

–Superintendent Yvonne Stokes told the board and the community the school district will sometime be revisiting the mask mandate, but her goal is “students in school.”  So far, Stokes says, “We are still in school.  That’s important.  We have not had to close the doors.”

–The board recognized the work of the Fishers High School Dance Marathon, which has raised $600,000 for Riley Children’s Hospital since 2008.

Teachers in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District will see a 3.25% pay increase when the new contract takes effect July 1 of next year, providing the pact is ratified.  The agreement makes some changes in benefit costs and minor adjustments to extracurricular pay.

Both sides decided this contract should be for one-year, instead of the traditional 2-year length concurrent with the Indiana General Assembly’s budget cycle.  The one-year deal allows for any changes between now and next year due to the pandemic.

The Indiana Education Employment Relations Board (IEERB) just approved the deal.  The contract could not be be subject to a ratification vote until IEERB gave the okay.  That vote should happen in a few days.

HSE Schools Chief Financial Officer Katy Dowling and HSE Education Association (HSEA) President Abby Taylor presented the contract agreement to the school board Wednesday night.  If the union membership ratifies the accord, the school board will hold its ratification vote November 10.

Here is the video version of my podcast with IndyStar education reporters MJ Slaby & Erika Herron

Local school boards and education in general have become bigger news topics in recent months, and two reporters from the Indianapolis Star have been following those developments.

MJ Slaby & Arika Herron join me in a podcast discussion of recent developments on the local education scene.

When Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) school officials saw Deer Creek Elementary in Wayne Township coming online in August of 2022, it was clear that school boundaries would need adjustment.  Since the plan was to impact the fewest number of students possible, no one wanted to call it redistricting.

The term being used for this process is “Redefining Boundaries.”  Tuesday night, top school officials spoke before about 40 individuals at HSE High Schools about the three scenarios produced by an internal school group.

Only one of the 3 scenarios (C) accomplishes the stated goal of relieving Southeastern Elementary of its overcrowding problem.  Scenarios A or B take students from other elementary buildings.

Administrators say they want Deer Creek to be at 80% capacity when opening in 2022 (580 students).  The Deer Creek building can take 725 in the classrooms.  The extra Deer Creek capacity is to allow for projected future growth in the area.

Deer Creek is set to replace Durbin Elementary, but when all Durbin students (345) move to Deer Creek, that only partially fills Deer Creek.

Limiting the boundary adjustments to a few schools leaves open the option of a full HSE Schools redistricting in the coming years.  According to demographic experts the school corporation has consulted, the pandemic has skewed the available data normally used for a full redistricting project.

The school board will conduct work sessions, have a public meeting on the options available, with an expected recommendation from Superintendent Yvonne Stokes ready for the school board December 8 this year.  School officials used a phone app and written documents for those attending the Tuesday meeting to make comments and administrators were available to answer questions from the public.

You can see the presentation school officials made at the Tuesday session at this link.

City officials put the shovels in the groundResidents in the fast-growing area of northeast Fishers have been pushing city officials hard for a new fire station in their part of the city.  A ground breaking ceremony held Tuesday starts construction of the new station at 136th Street and Prairie Baptist Road, as an answer to those Fishers citizens.

The new 13,600 square foot structure is a virtual carbon copy of the recently rebuilt station on Allisonville Road on the south end of Fishers, near the airport, according to fire officials.  It is expected this facility will reduce emergency response times in that area of the city.

One neighborhood that lobbied heavily for the new fire station is Britton Falls, and many residents of that development were on hand for the ground breaking.

The new station constriction will take 12-15 months to complete.

At the outset, allow me to be perfectly clear – it is my view that Halloween is the strangest holiday on the American calendar.  It is a time to dress up in ridiculous costumes and allow youngsters to go on a sugar high.  Many adults get another kind of high.

If you are a parent, it is almost certain that for many years, you took your kids Trick or Treating in the neighborhood.  I recall a group of families we knew getting together.  The dads took the group of young ones around the neighborhood and came back to one house for a post Trick or Treating gathering.  Those are good memories for me.

Fishers Parks & Recreation Department has a tradition of hosting an annual party called Boo Bash.  You don’t have to wear a costume, but it is highly recommended.  It is a celebration of Halloween for the local community.

The 2021 Boo Bash gathers at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater Saturday, October 30, 10am-1pm.

For more on the Boo Bash, use this link.

Also, on Sunday, October 31, 2021, the Fishers Halloween Trick or Treat hours will be 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

With booster shots of COVID vaccine now available, and vaccine for those 5-11 years of age likely coming soon, the Fishers Health Department is already offering the booster and preparing for the under 12 years of age group.

You can make an appointment now to have your booster shot at this link.

Here is the Health Department’s guidance on eligibility for a booster:

Booster shots are now available for individuals who received their last dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months ago and who meet the following criteria:

• Age 18 and older who live in long-term care setting
• Age 18 and older who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18 and older who work or live in high-risk settings
• Immunocompromised individuals are also encouraged to receive a third dose of Moderna or Pfizer at least 28 days after the completion of their second dose.
• If you are unsure if you meet the criteria for booster shots, please check with your physician.

Booster doses are also recommended for anyone 18 or older who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine two or more months ago.

Appointments for the booster vaccine are recommended, but the Fishers Mass Vaccination site, located in the old Marsh Grocery building near 116th Street and Brooks School Road, will take walk-ins.  You can only walk-in if you arrive 30 minutes before closing.  Here ae the latest hours for the Fishers site:

• Monday: CLOSED (starts 11/1)
• Tuesday: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
• Wednesday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Thursday: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
• Friday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Saturday: 9a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Sunday: CLOSED

Monica Heltz, Public Health Director for the City of Fishers, says no matter which vaccine you received initially (J&J, Pfizer or Moderna)  you can choose any of the three vaccines for your booster.

The Fishers Health Department staff is already gearing-up for the rollout of COVID vaccine for those 5 years of age through age 11.  Heltz anticipates final government approval for the Pizer vaccine for under 12 years of age to come in the first few days of November.

“We do know it’s going to be a different product, it’s a different formulation,” Heltz said.  “It’s still Pfizer…but it comes from a different vial.  We still have to receive those vials.”

In the initial allocation of this vaccine, Heltz has been told the federal government will allocate the first shipments of the vaccine to the states, so Indiana will determine how much vaccine the Fishers Health Department receives once the approval is final.  Eventually, Fishers should have whatever supply of the vaccine needed based on demand.

“There’s no real need to rush right in on the first day, we’ll get through everybody as quickly as we possibly can,” said Heltz.

Hetlz expects a booster shot outreach program with home-bound individuals & long-term care facilities visited earlier by the city staff.

As to plans for the 5-11 year old vaccine once it is approved., Heltz has reached out to the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools about partnering with them on vaccinations.  Heltz does not expect the schools to offer vaccinations during the school day, but there have been discussions about offering the vaccine at various school events.

You can find COVID vaccine FAQs at this link.

In the year after a presidential election, Indiana takes a year off.  So, in 2021, there are no elections.

Our next local election cycle comes in 2022.  There will be congressional elections in our state with newly-drawn districts.  Incumbent Republican Senator Todd Young will be seeking his second term.  There will also be a number of Hamilton County offices on the ballot.

But allow me to focus on one set of elections next year for seats on the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board.  In the 2022 election cycle, 4 seats (out of 7) will be up for election.  in 2022, each candidate must live in a district to run, and only the voters in that district can vote in that race.  In this case, only voters living in a particular district vote for that school board seat.

The HSE school board district map can be viewed at this link.

The incumbent school board members by district are:

District 1 – Brad Boyer

District 2 – Janet Pritchett

District 3- Michell Fullhart

District 4 – Julie Chambers

The other 3 members of the HSE board were elected at-large in 2020.

The question in the 2020 HSE School Board election is – which incumbents will choose to run for another 4-year term?  So far, no incumbents, to my knowledge, have officially announced their intention to run for re-election.  But it is still early.  The voting will be held in the general election held in November, 2022, a little more than one year from now.

One factor that must be going through the 4 board members up for election next year is the state of our politics today.  We are seeing some nasty situations at school board meetings.  I covered the school board in Columbus, Indiana from 1978 through 1982 and never witnessed anything like this.  I have covered the HSE board for nearly ten years and have never seen some of the behavior from the audience at board meetings that I have seen lately.

Things are so rough in Carmel, the board has suspended having any audience at board meetings after a recent set of incidents.  Other boards are trying to find a way to take public comments from parents without the meetings themselves spiraling out of control.

What I fear is that there are good people in the HSE Schools community that may decide not to be a candidate for school board because of the situation they are seeing today.  If you want to know more, read this story from the Indianapolis Star, co-written by two outstanding education reporters, Arika Herron & MJ Slaby, at this link.  (an IndyStar subscription may be required to access this story).

So, when the filing period comes around in the summer of 2022, will any of the incumbent school board members run for re-election?  Also, will any potential candidates shy away from a candidacy because of the atmosphere surrounding our schools and elections?

Indiana has consistently seen lower voter turnout compared to other states.  In 2020, Secretary of State Connie Lawson said about 65% of registered voters cast a ballot in the Hoosier state.  However, a study by the nonpartisan Indiana Civil Health Index, showed that in 2018, only about 65% of eligible voters in the state even bothered to register.

That means the number of eligible voters choosing to cast a ballot in 2020 was far below 65%.  Sadly, Indiana consistently ranks low compared to other states in voter participation.

Every election is important and local elections are much more important than most people think.  Most of our media is national now.  The shrinking of local news operations is one reason interest in local elections lag.

I do my best as a news blog writer doing this by myself to give local people some idea what is going on in local elections.  But, residents in Fishers and the HSE School District, take the time to understand each school board candidate next year.  And, if you feel strongly enough, become a candidate yourself.

Use this year of 2021 to consider next year’s election cycle.  A democracy is only as healthy as the people choosing to participate.