05/04/2026
HSE teachers and HSE Schools community,
Today was a hard day. 18 teachers ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade were informed they would be part of the Reduction in Force (RIF) and would not be teaching at HSE Schools next year. While this is a process no one wanted to happen, HSEA and HSE administration worked together to ensure the RIF process was followed as listed in the Teacher Handbook. Again, no one, including administration, wanted this process to happen.
Contrary to public belief, the RIF process is not solely based on seniority. The factors in determining a RIF are listed in the following order:
1. Average teacher evaluation category over the previous three evaluation cycles
2. Academic needs of students (licensure and attendance at PLCs)
3. Average teacher evaluation rating scores over the previous three evaluation cycles
4. Years of experience (length of service in HSE Schools)
According to the RIF process, teachers whose jobs were eliminated are placed on a two-year recall list. If positions become available, they would be recalled to the district in the process laid out in the Teacher Handbook.
HSEA is committed to meeting with each teacher who was RIFed. During these meetings, HSEA will discuss due process rights, unemployment benefits, and insurance coverage. We understand the upheaval this process brings to these teachers, and we are steadfast in our belief that these teachers’ needs must be met.
The elimination of these jobs is a result of several factors. HSE’s student enrollment is declining, resulting in a loss of funding each year; however, make no mistake, these cuts are also a direct result of SEA 1, a law passed by the Indiana General Assembly, signed by Governor Mike Braun, and supported by Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith that decimates funding for public schools and first responders. Every public school district in Indiana is facing budget cuts, and, as the sixth lowest per student funded district in the state, HSE is among those feeling the worst of it. We must stand against such laws that have detrimental effects on the cornerstone of Hoosier communities, because, at the end of the day, eliminating teaching positions directly impacts student learning environments.
HSEA remains committed to our teachers, our students, and our communities. We are with you today, tomorrow, and every day after that.
