The Carmel Clay Schools board of trustees met Oct. 23 and adopted changes to board member district boundaries, the 2018 budget, the 2017-18 school calendar, the 2017-19 contract with the Carmel Teachers Association and more.
What happened: The school board adopted changes to a bylaw that redraws the school board member district boundaries.
What it means: During the past 15 years, the school has redistricted students several times to balance growth, but the districts where school board members must reside to run for specific school board seats had not been reevaluated for balance and split precincts. The board began the process of resetting the boundaries in Dec. 2016 and adopted the changes after the plan received approval from the Indiana Dept. of Education.
What’s next: The boundary changes won’t affect voters, as all voters will continue to vote for each of the five Carmel Clay school board seats. The new districts only impact where a candidate must reside when filing for the school board election.
What happened: The school board unanimously approved the 2017-19 contract with the Carmel Teachers Association, a union representing CCS educators.
What it means: The contract includes an average raise of 2.5 percent both years. CTA became the official teachers union in May after CCS educators voted to decertify its previous union, which had required state intervention to come to terms on a contract with CCS three out of its last four years. Associate Supt. of Business Affairs Roger McMichael described the most recent bargaining process with CTA as “very positive and very professional.”
What happened: The board discussed a potential partnership between CCS and Ivy Tech Community College.
What it means: Students would have the opportunity to take 12 to 13 college credits at Ivy Tech that would count as dual credit through four Career and Technical Education options: informatics and cyber security, visual communications and website development, building construction and automotive service technology. Tuition costs would be funded through state career and technical education funds and Duke Energy Scholarship funds.
What’s next: The board is expected to vote on the partnership at a future meeting.
School calendar approved
The school board approved the 2018-19 school calendar. Key dates are: