Roma Weil

Professor Meyer

Integrated Foundations of Teaching

24 March 2020

School and Community Analysis: Carmel Clay School District

The first question that was posed has to do with how Carmel markets itself and what

Carmel values. Carmel markets itself as a city that a variety of people want to live in. Carmel’s

Arts and Design District is appealing to families and young adults who live in the area because

there are various shops and restaurants that people can walk to. It looked like there were a lot of

new apartment buildings, which might attract singles and young adults. Carmel’s mayor, Jim

Brainard, has also transformed Carmel into a city with many trails, so people can take hikes or

go on walks with their families and pets.

When my mom, my brother, and I visited Carmel, we went to LePeep which is in the

same area as a church called Genesis Church, which is non-denominational. A few more

churches we saw while driving were Living Truth Church, Carmel Wesleyan, and Fellowship in

Christ Church. On our way to Carmel High School, we saw the following neighborhoods:

Creekside, Lexington Farms, Waterwood, Village of Mount Carmel, Rohrer Woods, The Village

Farms, and Pleasant Grove. Some parks, greenways, and trails that we saw are Central Park,

Monon Greenway, and Greyhound Trail. Monon Community Center and Monon Greenway are

in the same vicinity. Some places that we passed are Carmel Clay Public Library, which is across

from Carmel High School, Carmel Clay Historical Society Museum, the businesses: Cigna,

Edward Rose and Sons, Oxford, North Hospital, PNC, Kumon, and The Center for the

Performing Arts.
 Getting into Carmel’s demographics, there is an equal female to male ratio, and the

median age of residents is forty years old. Regarding race, the majority of residents are white.

More than half of people who live in Carmel are married, which shows that it is a desirable place

to start and raise a family. The average household income is approximately $110,000, which is

about twice as much as Indiana’s average, so most of the families who live in Carmel are

financially stable. Almost all of the residents have a high school degree or higher. All of this

information proves that Carmel is a desirable city in which to live.

Living in Carmel does not seem attainable for many people, but if a male or female has a

high paying job or an inheritance, it is feasible. The average home price is approximately

$346,000, which is more than twice as much as Indiana’s average, but there are outliers on the

lower end and higher end. There is a wide variety of religious centers, so every faith would have

a place to worship. Some of the religious centers I saw are Carmel Christian Church (Disciples

of Christ), Northview Church (non-denominational) and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church

(Catholic). Again, Jim Brainard has done a lot for Carmel in regards to the walkability in

Carmel. There is an assortment of parks and trails, but one main feature of Carmel would have to

be the Monon Community Center because of all its amenities. These amenities in particular

require a membership, but anyone in the community may purchase a package that suits his or her

needs. The community center hosts a place for children to play while parents work out. Central

Park is right outside of the Monon Community Center, and there is also a waterpark that is open

from the end of May to the beginning of September. Not only are there fun activities to engage

in, but there is also a variety of schools that parents can send their children to. The Carmel Clay

School District has eleven public elementary schools, three public middle schools, and one

public high school. There are also twelve private schools and one charter school.
 Carmel is home to many businesses, and many of them are located in Meridian Street

Corridor, which is the second largest concentration of office workers in Indiana. Carmel also has

a list of nonprofits located in the city, but one that resonates with me is Lions Club because it is

part of Delta Gamma’s (DG) sorority. Although Delta Gamma is not the sorority I joined, I know

people who work with Lions Club through DG. Carmel has a couple of locally owned

restaurants; two are Woodys Library Restaurant and Divvy, which are owned by the same

people. There are also chains like Mimi Blue Meatballs, Kona Grill, Yats, Charleston’s

Restaurant, Bazbeaux Pizza, Blaze Pizza, Bru Burger Bar, and Boombozz, as well as fast food

chains.

The five main members of the school board are parents, but they are from a variety of

backgrounds. Mike Kershner, the president, is an attorney, so he might be more concerned with

the laws surrounding education and Carmel Clay’s budget. Katie Browning, the vice president, is

an account manager, so she might focus on organizing what should be talked about at the school

board meetings. Lin Zheng, the secretary, has financial knowledge and an international

background, so she might work with Mr. Kershner with the budget and other expenses. Pam

Knowles, one of the members, was an elementary school teacher, so she likely resonates with

school issues, and she is dedicated to making education better for children in Carmel. Like Pam

Knowles, Layla Spanenberg, is a board member, and she is dedicated to advancing education for

all students. Overall, the school board members want the best for the children in the community,

especially because they are parents and grandparents themselves. Related to advancing

education, there is a public library across from Carmel High School, and there are museums,

tutoring centers, and The Center for Performing Arts.

 Now, there will be specific research about Carmel High School (CHS). CHS has above

average proficiencies in both math and reading/language arts, which makes it seem like the high

school takes those subjects seriously. The school itself has an A letter grade for school

accountability. CHS shares its improvement plan on their website, and their vision, mission, and

beliefs resonate with me as a future educator. CHS has a population of approximately 5,057

students, 52% being female and 48% being male. The freshman class has about 1,288 students

followed by the seniors, juniors, and sophomores. CHS is not incredibly racially diverse, but

Asian is the second most prevalent race at CHS behind Caucasian.

CHS has an abundance of opportunities for its students. CHS offers AP, IB, and Dual

Credit classes, so students are able to earn college credit before entering college. Dual Credit

classes are offered through Ivy Tech, Butler, Vincennes, and IU. CHS also offers an ENL

program that supports more than 500 students. Not only are there a variety of classes available

for the students to take, but there are also more than 100 clubs that students can participate in.

Some of the clubs include language clubs (French, German, Spanish), science clubs (Biology,

Chemistry, Physics, etc.), Model UN, and Best Buddies. Based on the information available on

https://www.ccs.k12.in.us/chs, CHS does not utilize any commercially-marketed materials

curricular.

On publicschoolreview.com, I found that the school district’s spending on students is

$10,149, which is about $1,000 less than Indiana’s state average. No information was found for

Carmel High School specifically. Only 6% of CHS’s students receive free lunch, and only 2% of

CHS’s students receive reduced lunch. The average for Indiana is 40% for students who receive

free lunch, so the students at CHS seem more well-off than the majority of students in Indiana.
Carmel Clay school district’s operating budget is $106,051,295.00. CHS has 278 teachers, and

the average teacher salary is approximately $60,000 in Carmel, Indiana.

Based on what Carmel High School has on its improvement plan, it is clear that the high

school values their students’ needs and aspirations and wants them to succeed in life beyond high

school. Carmel High School is divided into four grade levels: freshman, sophomore, junior, and

senior. The schedule is a block schedule, which is how Father Ryan High School is. The general

diploma requirement is similar to Father Ryan’s, but Father Ryan has a different World

Language requirement. Carmel High School offers an IB program and an AP Capstone Diploma,

while Father Ryan only offers AP classes. CHS’s school year is divided into semesters like

Father Ryan. Nothing is surprising about the curriculum at CHS. The school curriculum is a

reflection of Carmel. Like Carmel, CHS has many opportunities for its students. As previously

mentioned, there is an abundance of clubs, as well as, extracurricular activities that students can

participate in. Carmel has ten fall sports, seven winter sports, nine spring sports, bands, choirs,

orchestras, a theatre department, and visual arts. It seems like every individual can find a passion

at Carmel High School.