Nearly 60 positions within Hamilton Southeastern Schools will be eliminated as the school district faces a continued decrease in student enrollment, according to a notice sent to parents.
In total, contracts for 18 teachers, all at the kindergarten through sixth grade levels, are expected to be cancelled through the district’s reduction in force process.
“I understand this news may raise questions and concerns for our families and staff,” HSE superintendent Matt Kegley said in a letter to parents. “These decisions directly affect important members of our school community and are not made lightly. Still, HSE Schools must take the steps necessary to remain financially stable, align staffing with the number of students we serve and continue to provide a high-quality education.”
Savings from operational efficiencies and additional non-classroom staffing reductions are being finalized and will be shared at the May 13 school board meeting. If more retirements and resignations are submitted, there will be an opportunity for those teachers that received a notice of contract cancellation to be called back before the start of next school year, according to the school district.
The district is going through the reduction in force process because maintaining staffing levels for enrollment that no longer exists is not financially sustainable, according to the letter from Kegley.
The district has experienced a steady enrollment decline since the 2020-21 school year.
Based on fall count data, enrollment decreased by 1,519 students from September 2020 to October 2025. Over the last three years, enrollment has declined by 863 students, or 4%, according to data shared by the school district.
“Enrollment in many of our upper grades remains strong,” reads the letter from Kegley sent to parents in the district. “The decline is most noticeable in the early grades, beginning with kindergarten, where each incoming class has been smaller than previous years.”
The school district also points to Senate Enrolled Act 1 as contributing to its funding issues. Anticipated decreases in property tax revenue due to the legislation, which was signed into last year, are impacting public school funding but the primary factor driving the staffing reductions is declining enrollment, according to the district.
HSE is simply graduating larger classes than it is enrolling in kindergarten,” the letter from Kegley reads. “This shift in enrollment has been monitored for the last few years in hopes that reductions like we are experiencing today would not be needed.”
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Jake_Allen19. Click here to get Hamilton County news sent straight to your inbox and subscribe to the IndyStar North newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: HSE eliminates 18 teacher positions, points to enrollment decrease
Reporting by Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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