Southeast Dubois School Board Meeting 12/6/23

By: Drew Hasselbring

The heart of Forest Park was beating with pride as the Southeast Dubois School Board met on Wednesday evening. As we head into the year end, Dubois County schools certainly have a lot to smile about. Forest Park saw a band ranked number one at the ISSMA Class D state championship and a soccer team finish second in state. Recently, dedicated athlete and junior Charlie Hasenour was selected as one of sixteen students in the entire United States to serve on a student advisory committee. 

Without a doubt, thought, one of the most tangible reasons for happiness at this meeting was the demonstration of their newly purchased ZSpace Technology laptops. These state-of-the-art machines allow for intricate 3-D viewing that uses elements of augmented reality and virtual reality to create a more lifelike experience for students. The investment shows a dedication to technology that will allow students to accelerate their learning in medical, architectural, and countless other fields. Southeast Dubois County superintendent Jamie Pund says of the program, “Because of how advanced this is, this is something that you would traditionally see at college level, you know, higher education. Just having that equipment to be able to engage the kids – so I think this is something that K through 12 schools are seeing it more than what they used to. And I think from our perspective we’re happy that we’re in the forefront of that.” 

 Her excitement obviously stretched to the board members, who were enthralled with the new technology and enthusiastic about the new opportunities that it would afford their students. While a number of topics were discussed, including new hirings as well as resignations, Pund made a specific point to say that students’ mental health all throughout the county was of the utmost importance to her. Local school boards across the county are clearly seeing the stress that the last few years have put on students, and are making tremendous efforts to make sure that their learning environment stays healthy, happy, and above all, safe. It’s a great reminder to sit down and talk with a student in your own family and find out what they are excited about learning at their local school.