I hope each of you had a very nice Thanksgiving holiday and long weekend. It is hard to believe that we are less than three weeks from winter break. I am looking forward to all the great activities that will take place over the next two weeks!
Enrollment Management / Redistricting Plan
As we continue our work on enrollment management and redistricting, this message serves as a friendly follow-up to our earlier request for community input. We are seeking your feedback on the criteria that will guide the development of new school attendance boundaries. These criteria are essential in helping us ensure that future boundary options reflect the values, priorities, and goals of our Warren community.
It’s important to note that some criteria may naturally compete with one another. For example, many families prefer to minimize the number of students who change schools. At the same time, others prioritize balancing enrollment or addressing socioeconomic differences across schools—goals that may require more student movement. Your feedback will help us understand which considerations matter most to our community as we evaluate and refine potential options.
Your input truly matters. Even if your family may not be directly impacted by upcoming changes, we encourage you to share your perspective. A broad range of voices helps us make decisions that best serve all students, families, and neighborhoods.
Please take a moment to complete our Feedback Survey using the link provided, or visit our District Redistricting website for additional information and updates. I have provided below some important meeting dates where additional information and data will be shared. Our team and I are also available if you have questions or ideas.
Important Meetings / Updates
December Board Meeting, December 17th at 6:30
975 North Post Road
Board / Public Work Session, January 5th at 6:00
975 North Post Road
January Board Meeting, January 21, 2026 at 6:30
975 North Post Road
MSD of Warren Township receives a $30 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
I am thrilled to share that The Metropolitan School District of Warren Township has received a $30 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Marion County K-12 Public Schools Initiative. This grant is one of 34 large-scale implementation awards being made through Phase 3 of the initiative, which aims to strengthen academic achievement for Indianapolis students and expand their opportunities for long-term success after high school.
With this grant, MSD Warren Township will launch a comprehensive, districtwide effort aligned with our district strategic plan focused on college and career readiness, family engagement and social services, academic acceleration supports, and school leader and teacher development. These initiatives will ensure that every student, across all MSD Warren Township schools, gains the knowledge, skills, experiences and support necessary to thrive now and into their college, career, and life journey. Provided below is an overview of the main priority areas of the grant.
K–12 College & Career Readiness Framework and Journey of a Graduate (JoG) Centers
Warren will build three state-of-the-art Journey of a Graduate (JoG) Centers at Creston, Raymond Park, and Stonybrook Intermediate Middle Schools. These centers will offer exploratory, hands-on, career-integrated learning experiences aligned with high-demand fields such as engineering, technology, sciences, trades, and more. Through these experiences, middle school students will build a strong foundation for Indiana’s new high school diploma requirements while developing the skills reflected in Warren’s Journey of a Graduate competencies and preparing for the college and career pathways offered at Warren Central High School and Walker Career Center.
As part of this work, MSD Warren Township will deepen its partnership with EmployIndy to connect student learning to real-world experiences and workforce opportunities. EmployIndy will support career awareness programming, employer engagement, and expanded work-based learning experiences for both students and staff.
Expanded High-Dosage Tutoring & Academic Acceleration
To accelerate reading and math achievement, Warren will expand high-dosage tutoring opportunities for students across the district. These afterschool and extended-learning sessions will provide targeted small-group instruction aligned with each student’s needs. The program builds on Warren’s strong academic growth trends and will be supported through teacher training, curriculum alignment, and ongoing progress monitoring. These tutoring sessions play a critical role in supporting Warren’s ambitious IREAD-3, ILEARN ELA, and ILEARN Math proficiency goals detailed in the Lilly Endowment proposal.
Dual Capacity Student & Family Social Services Framework
Building on the success of our Moorhead Community Resource Center, MSD Warren Township will expand year-round family engagement, social-emotional supports, and multilingual services across all schools. Family engagement liaisons and school based social workers will ensure families have regular access to resources, mental health supports, food security programs, and school-connected services, strengthening the conditions necessary for student learning and well-being.
Leadership Development & Staff Capacity Building
Last but not least, MSD Warren Township will invest in more than 80 school and district leaders through the Indiana Association of School Principals’ School Leader Paradigm and certify 400 teachers in the Science of Mathematics, mirroring Warren’s highly successful Science of Reading initiative. A new micro-credential system will provide meaningful, competency-based professional learning opportunities to support high-quality instruction across all grade levels.
"This investment from Lilly Endowment will be transformational for the Pride of the Eastside," said Dr. Tim Hanson, Superintendent of MSD Warren Township. "The grant allows us to expand tutoring opportunities that accelerate learning, build career-connected middle school experiences, and strengthen our partnership with EmployIndy to ensure our students are prepared for the workforce of tomorrow. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to invest in our students, families, and educators in ways that will change lives for years to come."
About MSD of Warren Township
MSD of Warren Township is an innovative district that serves nearly 11,500 students across 15 schools on Indianapolis’s far east side. The district is one of the most diverse in Marion County and is committed to academic excellence, whole-child support, and preparing all students for life beyond high school. Recent achievements include a 19% increase in IREAD-3 proficiency, near-top growth on ILEARN, and a graduation rate above 92%. These Phase 3 initiatives build directly on Warren’s strategic plan and extensive stakeholder engagement efforts.
MSD Warren Township previously received a Phase 2 implementation grant from Lilly Endowment in May 2025, which supported AVID implementation, acceleration specialists, school based social workers, and extracurricular programming that continue to serve students and families.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in Eli Lilly and Company. Although the Endowment remains supported by this stock, it is a separate entity from the company. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports community development, education, and religion. The Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, with a special commitment to Indianapolis and Indiana.
Winter Activities - Weather and Student Performances
Personally, I am a big fan of winter—snow, crisp air, and the entire holiday season. This year’s early snowfall has been a welcome sight! That said, I’m not as fond of the ways winter weather can disrupt our ability to safely operate on a normal school schedule. With that in mind, I want to take a moment to remind everyone of our process in the event of inclement weather.
When precipitation, extreme temperatures, or other winter conditions create unsafe travel or operational challenges, we may need to delay the start of school, release early, or cancel school for the day. To help families prepare, we have created an Inclement Weather Information page, available on our District website and linked here.
As we head deeper into the winter months, please remember: if your child is in need of a warm coat, hat, gloves, or other cold-weather items, reach out to your school’s Family Engagement Liaison or teacher. We are here to help ensure all students stay safe and warm this season.
In addition to enjoying the winter season, I’m always energized by the way our students shine during this time of year. Their performances truly bring the holiday spirit to life. Below you will find a list of events featuring our incredibly talented students, and I encourage you to attend as many as possible.
The Hawthorne Elementary Winter Program (grades Kindergarten and Third Grade) will be this Thursday, December 4 at 6 pm in the Hawthorne gym. There is no admission fee.
The Creston IMS Choir Concert will take place on Thursday, December 4th at 7:00 pm in the Creston Auditorium. There is no admission fee.
The Stonybrook Orchestras & Drumming Holiday Concert will also take place on Thursday, December 4th at 7:00 pm in Stonybrook's large gym. There is no admission fee.
The WCC Choirs Holiday Spectacular will take place on Friday, December 5th at 7:00 pm. In addition to Warren Central's choirs, the concert will feature music students from most of the Warren Township elementary schools. Admission is $10, and reserved seats can be purchased here. This show is expected to sell out, so get your tickets before it's too late!
The Warren Central Orchestras Winter Concert will take place on Tuesday, December 9th at 7:00 pm in the WPAC. Admission is $8 for adults and children 5 and up. Tickets can be purchased here. Warren Township staff admitted free with staff ID.
The Stonybrook IMS Winter Spectacular will take place on Wednesday, December 10th at 7:00 pm in the WPAC. In addition to Stonybrook's band and choirs, the Sunny Heights Elementary choir will also perform. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased here. See the attached flyer for additional information.
The Warren Central Winter Band Concert will be on Thursday, December 11th at 7:00 pm in the WPAC. Tickets are $8 for adults and students 5 and up and can be purchased here Warren Township staff admitted free with township ID.
The Creston IMS Band Concert will also take place on Thursday, December 11th at 7:00 pm in the Creston Gym. There is no admission fee.
The Raymond Park IMS Choir Concert will be on Friday, December 12th at 7:00 pm in the RP LGI. There is no admission fee.
Also on Friday, December 12th at 7:00 pm, Warren Central Theatre will present Black Box Theatre in the Studio Theatre at the Warren Performing Arts Center. Black Box is a type of theatre that uses minimal props, sets, and costumes to help the audience focus more on the actors and the plays they are performing. The audience will see several different scenes that are part of longer scripts. Directors and actors are students in theatre arts classes or are part of the theatre program. The audience can also participate! Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.