Superintendent outlines professional-development conference, Portrait of a Learner initiative and tracks legislative proposals

Superintendent Dustin Gering told the board on Feb. 10 that the district will host a summer professional-development conference featuring a national presenter sometimes called the “Kid Whisperer.” The conference will be free for district staff; the district is selling tickets to other corporations to help underwrite the event.

Gering also said the district is launching a community-facing Portrait of a Learner (also called Portrait of a Graduate) process, funded in part by the Brookville and Franklin County Redevelopment Commission and the Franklin County Community Foundation. The initiative will include evening events this spring to gather public input on soft skills and graduate outcomes the county seeks from local schools.

On legislative matters, Gering briefed the board on two proposals: an enrollment-related proposal that would have ramifications if more than 50% of a district’s expected students attend another district, and a governor-proposed set of property-tax caps that could reduce local operating revenue. Gering said one estimate discussed at the meeting suggested an impact “roughly anywhere from 6 to 10% reduction in operations costs” but noted staff members later cited other year‑by‑year estimates (first-year 1.2%, second-year 1.5%, third-year 1.7%) during the discussion. Board members were directed to an ISBA 2025 bill-tracking list and Indiana state legislative sites for bill status and authorship if they wish to track or contact legislators.

Gering said event details and advertisements for the conference and the Portrait of a Learner events would be distributed to staff and the community; the board may receive further information at future meetings.