Education

8550 Woodfield Crossing Blvd, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240 Indianapolis, IN 46240 (Directions)

Metropolitan School District of Washington Township

Regular meeting of the Washington Township School Board.

Questions? Email us at documenters@mirrorindy.org

Check the source website for additional information

Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Indianapolis - IN Documenters Team

Note-taking by Brittany Fukushima

Regular meeting of the Washington Township school board, including a school spotlight on Nora Elementary School, discussion of the District Strategic Plan and discussion of HB 1136.

Live reporting by Kelli Jack-Kelly

How students might be affected by HB 1136

Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 2/41
Special recognition of Aranza Bastidas Martinez, who is "resilient, helpful, smart" and more. She is from Venezuela, and moved here with her parents after a grueling trip through immigration. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 3/41
She spoke no English when her family moved to the Nora area, and had only a small plastic bag full of her belongings. She would go to school before anyone else to learn English with some dedicated teachers. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 4/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Odie Schaar and Meridith Schaar (his human). Odie is a dog and helps children become more comfortable during their school day. He calms them and brings joy to all. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 5/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Odie is present at the meeting and is happily greeting everyone. He certainly does bring joy and comfort wherever he goes but especially at Nora Elementary. :) @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 6/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Everyone clapped and acknowledged Odie and his person as the pride of Washington Township. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 7/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Dr. Woodsen thanked all for attending and accepting the new diploma implemented last year by the state of Indiana. All legislative updates are in board documents for review. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 8/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters North Central receives kudos from Dr. Woodsen for being a part of the listening sessions, and bringing the school through the new processes put in place. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 9/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Dr. Taylor presents the monthly Consent Agenda, and asks for approval from the board. Agenda includes new hires, resignations, and retirements from the school district. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 10/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Consent agenda was approved unanimously. Moving on to action items.
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 11/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Action items were unanimously approved. Dr. Smith begins discussing the township financials and how they are set up for this school year. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 12/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Dr. Smith asks that 3.1 million from the operations fund to the rainy day fund. It was unanimously approved. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 13/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Site approval presentation by Dr. Boots for phases of new school expansions in Washington Township. Motion to approve the North Central improvements package, and it was unanimously approved. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 14/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Correction: Reference to Dr. Boots should be Mr. Boots in previous post. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 15/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Dr. Taylor reviews current house regulations, and how they affect Washington Township School District. Students who move between districts might be affected by HB 1136. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 16/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters 12,358 school students in the district, and 82% of those students remain in the district. The other 18% move to other districts for public, private, or charter schools. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 17/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Enrollment trends are that the number of students are increasing in the township, and 1,000 new students were added last year. 82% stay in the district but the state average is 90% that remain in their districts. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 18/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Dr. Taylor explains that the students coming into the district are from IPS. Next is Pike Township, followed by Lawrence Township. HB1136 has a concerning set of requirements that if a district loses over 50% of their students, they will dissolve. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 19/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The impact on rural schools compared to city schools is immense. There is some question if this bill will pass. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 20/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Dr. Taylor feels very confident that the 82% will remain stable or increase in the future. That 82% include students who are in the school choice category. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 21/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The legislation reads as follows: IN HB1136 | 2025 | Regular Session | LegiScan @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 22/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Dr. Taylor states that 82% is good, but since the states average of 90%, he feels they can do better and strive for that. A lot of school districts in the area transfer out more students than they transfer in. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 23/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Strategic plan is then discussed, and Dr. Pettigrew presents the details. Organizational charts are presented. Focus is on 4 areas including data, equity, QAR process, and access data. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 24/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Classes are evaluated, and areas of improvement are identified. Increased the number of walkthroughs by 69% over last year, inclusive of all grades. Next steps are based on what was revealed on those walkthroughs. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 25/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Are classrooms welcoming, safe, and comfortable? How are lesson being delivered to students? Opportunities include strengthening how they maintain classroom norms, and helping students understand their learning skills. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 26/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters QAR process has added data monitoring, guidelines on what is being monitored, and changes between 2nd and 3rd grade. School suspensions have decreased, which is impressive, but we have more work to do. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 27/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Discipline data is being monitored in real time, which has allowed us to make adjustments as needed and intervene more quickly. Adopting culturally sensitive information is being implemented to fuel inclusion and broader learning. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 28/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Development opportunities are also offered to staff, and for traditionally marginalized communities of students. Equity and inclusion include how students are disciplined, and how they differ across geographical areas. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 29/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters This is the third year of math curriculum, but there is no consistent data to glean support and guidance from. So, we are creating guidelines as we go. Academic standards are being monitored. iLearn testpoint checks begin next week. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 30/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Students are being taught how to self-correct their behaviors with the goal of fewer expulsions and keeping students in classrooms. Is it working? Yes. So far, there has been a 10% decrease in suspensions. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 31/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Once a student has 10 absences, parents are brought in to work on a solution. This school year so far has shown improvements in all areas except for 6th grade math for this checkpoint. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 32/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Discipline data is being collected, and is a growing conversation with parents, teachers, students, and staff members has helped improve outcomes. Corrective behavior plans are evolving, and students are involved in the process. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 33/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Areas of growth are using defined data to make decisions on classroom teaching, curriculum specifics, and ways of learning. An update on grades 9-12; there is a 90.4% graduation rate in Washington Townships; above the state average of 90.2%. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 34/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters 10 areas needing more attention at the high school level. Grade-level support team is successful at the high school level. Getting seniors to complete all requirements to graduate, and 8th graders ready to enter high school are examples. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 35/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters This year has had successes in on-time graduation rates, algebra and general math learning, and access to high school credits in middle school. Socio-emotional learning is an area of future focus. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 36/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters 96% of high school teachers excel at providing a safe, inclusive and inviting environment for students to learn. However, only 49% of teachers are using relevant data to develop their curriculum. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 37/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Multi-language learning is at an all-time high, and practices a comprehensive approach to engagement. What is a realistic graduation number for the district? 3% of students earn a Certificate of Completion, so the actual grad rate could be 97%. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 38/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Board thanks presenters and shows appreciation for the amount of data utilized to show progress. Board also appreciates the cultural element in teaching and supporting students from kindergarten through graduation. @mirrorindy @indydocumenters
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 39/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters The board also shares kudos to the entire leadership team for never lowering expectations to boost graduation rates. All agreed, and the meeting adjourned at 7:46 p.m. Until next time! @mirrorindy @indydocumenter
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 40/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Correction: The superintendent's name was misspelled earlier in this thread. Her name is Dr. Nikki Woodson. https://x.com/Kelli_J_Kelly/status/1882207539057828022
Kelli Jack-Kelly @Kelli_J_Kelly 41/41
@mirrorindy @indydocumenters Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any questions on the meeting or these tweets to @indydocumenters. Or, you may email us at documenters@mirrorindy.org.

Agency Information

MSD of Washington Township School Board

See meeting notes for details

www.msdwt.k12.in.us

See Documenters reporting

The Washington Township Board of Education is composed of five citizens elected to establish policy. The board expresses its policy determination in the form of written policy statements.

Current board members

  • William Turner, president
  • Tracey Horth Kreuger, vice president
  • Kristina Frey, secretary
  • Diedre George Davis, member
  • Steven Thompson, member

Nikki Woodson, superintendent

Questions? Email us at documenters@mirrorindy.org

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