Lions’ Guest, Superintendent Daniel Hile proud of District

Did you know that Noblesville High School has the largest internship program in Indiana?

That the NHS Class of ‘2022 earned a record-setting $6.3 million in scholarships? That students speak more than 50 different home languages? And that NHS is the first school in the nation to offer an educator apprenticeship program that is giving its first student a jump start on college teacher certification while still in high school?

The district’s new superintendent Dr. Daniel Hile is pretty proud of his new school district. Hile, who officially began his position more than seven months ago, on July 1, was guest speaker this week at the Noblesville Lions Club bi-monthly meeting at Ginger’s Cafe in Noblesville.

Hile is a former choir director of eight years who went on to serve as assistant principal, principal and then superintendent while gaining a great perspective on a wide range of student needs and student ages, before coming to Noblesville Schools.

He said while Hamilton County has a reputation of being a very wealthy area, about 22 percent of the district’s students qualify for free or reduced meals based on family income. “A very important dynamic that we have to remember, as educators, that not all of our children come to school with the same home life and opportunities.”

Hile is focused on the many wonderful things happening in our school district everyday, “definitely a lot of things to be proud of,” Hile said.

The superintendent, who came from a smaller school district and who was named 2022 Northeastern Indiana Superintendent of the Year, is still getting to know Noblesville Schools, and said it’s “so exciting to go to school every day and see the great things (happening).”

Back in the fall, on Oct. 29, Noblesville won state championships in boys soccer, girls soccer and girls cross country all on the same day, he noted proudly.

NHS jazz director and assistant band director Bethany Robinson is a two-time national Grammy music educator finalist, has been Indiana Jazz Educator of the Year and was this school year named Indiana High School Music Educator of the Year.

A soft spot for the performing arts program, Hile said “fine arts” has way outgrown their spaces. “That’s one of the victims of your own success.”

Since Hile has been at Noblesville Schools, he’s helped cut the ribbon on the new Beaver Stadium and the new tennis facility. And the district has broken ground on a new multi-purpose high school athletic expansion, which will free up additional facility space that the district plans to use for a proposed performing arts and STEM classroom expansion. The project contract came in under bid at $14.8 million and is funded through a loan with no use of referendum or classroom dollars and no increase to the tax rate.

Also, the Miller Ambassadors program, which runs August through May, offers school learning experience for community leaders and parents. Applications for the Class of 2024 will open in June 2023.

Want more? A new print newsletter, Connect, a new state-of-the-schools publication by Noblesville Schools, has been mailed out to 33,000 homes in Noblesville.

Hile encourages Noblesville residents who want to stay in the know to sign up for Noblesville Schools’ new “In the Know” digital publication, which will be delivered monthly to your email inbox. The new newsletter provides updates on Noblesville Schools’ initiatives, board meetings, celebrations, events, leadership and more.

Next up, Noblesville Schools Education Foundation’s Miller-Palooza is 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. March 10 at the Embassy Suite in Noblesville, with $125 tickets, sponsorships available, dress casual Noblesville school spirit, and featuring Dueling Pianos from Felix and Fingers. To donate to silent auction, email [email protected]-Contact Betsy Reason at [email protected]. Read more from Superintendent Hile in the Betsy Reason column in an upcoming edition of The Times. See a photo and press release of Dr. Hile with the Lions Club members, also in The Times. (This is a rerun of Saturday’s Betsy Reason column in its entirety. The second half of Saturday’s column was missing and not published in The Times. We regret the error.)