HSE Schools & teachers fail to reach contract agreement

Submitted

Hamilton Southeastern Schools (HSE) and the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) did not reach an agreement in negotiations Friday, Nov. 14 after the district determined it cannot meet the association’s compensation proposals while maintaining long-term fiscal stability.

“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. “While we recognize the disruption these negotiations have caused for all in our community, our Board of School Trustees has a responsibility to appropriate funds in ways that protect our school district from long-term deficits, and we all must make decisions that preserve the district’s financial health while protecting the classroom experience for every student.”

The district’s financial outlook is most impacted by unexpected changes to school funding in Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA 1), ongoing declining enrollment, and a financial deficit the district has been working to mend. If no corrective actions are taken, the district’s Education Fund cash balance is expected to decrease by approximately $10.7 million by Jan. 1, 2027, leading to a projected total cash balance of approximately negative $6.2 million by Jan. 1, 2028.

Amid the challenges with new state legislation and enrollment decline, HSE continues to demonstrate its commitment to competitive educator compensation by:

• Maintaining the highest beginning teacher salary and benefits package in Hamilton County.
• Allocating 84 percent of its Education Fund Tuition Support Revenue toward teacher salary and benefits in the 2024-25 school year, 22 percentage points above the state’s 62 percent requirement; ranking 13th out of 290 school districts and second for large school districts.
• Directing 96 percent of the district’s referendum dollars directly to teaching positions and classroom instruction.
• Supporting teacher compensation as directed by state statute. Starting in 2011, the Indiana General Assembly fundamentally changed how teachers are compensated, restricting the amount of salary increases allowed for experience and education and prohibiting school employers from entering into collective bargaining agreements that would place them in a position of deficit financing.

“These numbers show our district’s ongoing investment in our educators,” Mapes said. “Our community has consistently supported HSE Schools, and we remain dedicated to directing every available dollar to student learning.”

The district will continue to negotiate with HSEA within the state-mandated timeline and process.