Carmel Clay Schools

Mental Health Coordinator Stephanie Whiteside presents a plan for increased diversity and equity at Carmel Clay Schools.

The school board will hold its next regular board meeting on Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Educational Services Center. According to school board president Mike Kerschner, the main topic of discussion at the upcoming board meeting will be the redistricting plan for the 2021-2022 school year. During the board workshop session on Nov. 9, board members also introduced ways to increase diversity, equity and inclusion within the district, which Kerschner said may be discussed further at the coming meeting.

Additionally, Kerschner said the school board and Superintendent Michael Beresford have been closely monitoring COVID-19 cases to ensure the safety of students, staff and families. In the last week, Indiana, along with the rest of the United States, has faced a sharp increase in the number of new daily cases. On Nov. 14, Indiana reached a new peak with 8,327 new cases reported in one day, based on data reported by The New York Times.

“I do know that we are having an issue with having enough staff, but at this point, we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Kerschner said. “We could very well go back to virtual, but at this point, there’s nothing specific (set in stone).”

Senior Nitya Sandadi said that while rising cases were a concern for her, she understands that she and other hybrid students made the choice to go to school in-person. However, she also said she hoped the school would continue to prioritize safety.

“I know other schools like Fishers went virtual, so I think we should be more proactive instead of waiting until cases get really bad,” Sandadi said.