DISTRICT REBALANCING

MOST RECENT NEWS REGARDING THIS TOPIC

In order to balance the enrollment at HSE and Fishers high schools, the district offered Fishers and Riverside Jr. High eighth graders who live in the HSE High School attendance area the opportunity to apply to attend Fishers High School instead. We are happy to announce that all 105 who qualified and applied for this opportunity will go to Fishers High School beginning next year. Our target was 100 so a lottery will not be necessary.

Parents of these students will receive individual notification that their students will be attending FHS next year. In addition, the district will provide FHS a list of those students accepted in preparation for registration.

The district is hopeful that approximately 100 incoming freshmen from these areas will apply to attend FHS each year. While giving these families a choice, this rebalancing process evens up the two high schools’ enrollments and helps eliminate any need to redistrict at the high school level.

Why Re-Balance Instead of Redistrict?

The eastern portion of our school district is the fastest-growing, causing HSE High School’s (HSEHS) enrollment to increase more quickly than Fishers High School’s (FHS) student population. That puts one high school over capacity and the other under capacity. Traditionally HSE adjusts school enrollments with a redistricting process. To redraw the attendance boundaries of the high schools would force students and neighborhoods to move after they’ve become a part of the culture and programs at HSEHS. Instead, we are offering a solution that would allow some eighth grade families a choice.

Re-Balancing Solution

• The district is giving eighth graders who attend Fishers (FJH) and Riverside (RJH) junior highs and who also live in HSEHS attendance boundaries the opportunity to attend FHS instead.
• The district will allow 50 students from FJH and 50 from RJH to attend Fishers High
  School – a total of 100.
• If more than 50 students register to do so in either of these two junior highs, a lottery
  within the individual school will select the first 50 students drawn.
• If fewer than 50 sign up in one of the two schools, those seats will be opened to
  students in the other junior high. (Ex. FJH – 70, RJH-30)
• If the total from both schools does not reach 100, the opportunity will be made
  available to HSE Junior High students - only if those parents agree to provide
  transportation. (See below.)

Transportation

• For FJH and RJH students selected to attend FHS, the district will be able to provide
  limited transportation because of high concentrations of these students living close to
  existing FHS bus routes.
  
• If some HSEJH students are selected to attend FHS, it will not be feasible for the
  district to provide transportation for a small number of students spread over a
  larger geographic area.

Commitment and Family

• Those selected will be committed to attend FHS all four years.
• Should students decide to transfer back to HSEHS, the Transfer Appeal Committee will consider each student’s situation on a case-by-case basis.
• Younger siblings (Grades 5-8) of students selected to attend FHS through this opportunity can choose to attend FHS or HSEHS.

How to Apply

• Parents must complete a special, one-page Re-Balancing Request form - also available in their schools’ front offices or at the Central Office (13485 Cumberland Road).
• Completed forms must be received no later than January 20, 2012.
• Mail or hand-deliver forms to Lynn Mikesell, Hamilton Southeastern Schools, 13485
  Cumberland Road, Fishers, IN 46038.

Offering a Choice

Instead of redistricting, we would rather give families an opportunity to choose based on their preferences and needs. If enough decide to transfer, we will continue to make that option available, possibly adjusting the number of students permitted to move each year. This allows us to better control enrollments, more efficiently use each facility – and at the same time offer our students and families some choice.

Questions?

If you have questions, please call the central office 594-4100, Fishers Jr. High 594-4150, or Riverside Jr. High 915-4280.

Archived News

	Registration Form - DUE JANUARY 20, 2012 (PDF file)
	Timeline (PDF file)
	Riverside boundary elligiblity (PDF file)
	FJH boundary elligibility (PDF file)