The Carmel Clay Schools board of trustees met Dec. 18 to vote on two policies regarding selection and review of instructional and library materials, appropriate 2024 bond proceeds and other items.
What happened: The school board voted 5-0 to approve policies about selection and review of instructional material, and selection, review and removal of school library materials.
What it means: Previously, the policies were combined. The new policies include minor adjustments to existing procedures for selection and review of materials to comply with a new state law. During the public comment portion of the meeting, 10 people spoke in support of the district’s policies, and one person asked the district to consider removing some items with sexual content available to students to ensure compliance with the intent of the new law.
What’s next: The new law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024.
What happened: The board voted 5-0 to appropriate proceeds of 2024 bonds in an amount not to exceed $75.5 million.
What it means: The bonds will cover major renovations to the Carmel High School football stadium, upgrades at Cherry Tree Elementary, outdoor improvements at Creekside Middle School, minor remodeling at Carmel Elementary School, new technology equipment and other miscellaneous repairs.
What’s next: Construction at Cherry Tree Elementary is expected to begin in the spring of 2024, with work on the stadium set to begin in November. The other projects are planned to begin in June.
What happened: The board voted 5-0 to approve a resolution appropriating nearly $3.9 million.
What it means: Approximately $2 million of the funds appropriated are a result of assessed home values – and thus property taxes – rising beyond what CCS expected to collect when the school board approved the 2023 budget. The vote appropriates $1.8 million for the operating referendum fund, $300,000 for the safety referendum fund, $1.3 million for the operations fund and $487,000 for the debt service fund.
