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2010 General Assembly & Tax Caps and Reduction In State Aid Impact Schools 2012 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1 - Index) (Pg. 2 - Funding Effects) 2011 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1 - Index) (Pg. 2) (Pg. 3 - Bills) (Pg. 4 - Commentary...) (Pg. 5 - Vic's Updates) (Pg. 6 - Effects) (Pg. 7 - Voting) 2010 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1 - Index) (Pg.
2) (Pg. 3) (Pg.
4) (Pg. 5 - School
Impact) (Pg. 5.1 - School Impact)
(Pg. 6 - Local
Gov't Impact) 2009 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1) (Pg. 2) 2008 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1) (Pg. 2) School
Districts Seeking Property Tax Increases To Make Up For State Funding Cuts (IED,
3/9/10) - "Indiana voters should get accustomed to a growing
trend: school districts asking for property tax increases to make up for state
funding shortfalls. At least seven school districts in the Indianapolis area
this year plan to ask their voters to approve property tax hikes by using the
referendum process. With a referendum, eligible voters get to say yes or no
during an election to decide whether their school district can collect more
taxes...With a referendum, a school district can impose a property tax rate to
collect money for the general fund to make up for state funding losses, and the
new rate is not subject to property tax caps...This year, Indianapolis-area
school districts asking for property tax increases for operating expenses
include Center Grove, Carmel, Noblesville, Speedway, Washington Township and
Western Boone and possibly Zionsville. Elsewhere in the state, school districts
including Tippecanoe County, West Lafayette and North Posey County in the Mount
Vernon area and possibly Monroe County plan referendums, too..." (more) Benton Cuts Jobs, School Could Close (Lafayette JC, 3/18/10) - "FOWLER -- A murmur of disappointment traveled through the crowd of more than 50 parents, teachers and Benton County citizens on Monday when the school board approved the first of three phases of cost reductions. Many of the sighs were from parents disappointed not only with the first phase of cuts, which are projected to save $610,000 through a slew of reductions to benefits, programs and staff. Those cuts include nine teaching positions..." (more) Eastern
Hancock Will Charge $1,000 For Full-Day Kindergarten (IED, 3/18/10)
- "CHARLOTTESVILLE
— For the first time since Eastern Hancock’s full-day kindergarten program
was implemented three years ago, the school will charge families a fee to enroll
young students...The changes include
a $1,000 fee for children signing up for full-day kindergarten..."
(more) Anderson Community Schools To Shed 200 Jobs To Deal With Multi-Million Dollar Deficits (IED, 3/23/10) - "ANDERSON — Anderson Community Schools will eliminate 200 or more jobs in the coming school year...That equals about one of every five ACS jobs that could be cut next school year...(Superintendent) Chow said the number of positions eliminated could 'easily' surpass 200 — 100 or more teachers and the rest in support jobs..." (more) Elwood
Superintendent : Close Middle School, Recommends Referendum (IED, 3/23/10)
- "ELWOOD — Elwood Superintendent Thomas Austin recommended Thursday
that the school system close Elwood Community Middle School as a way to reduce a
budgetary shortfall, as well as approve a school tax be suggested to
voters..." (more) White River Valley School Board Approves RIF Letters To Eight Teachers (IED, 3/23/10) - "The White River Valley School Board gave the administration permission to send out letters of intent to RIF (Reduction In Force) to eight teachers for the next school year..." (more) Mt. Vernon Latest Hancock County System Voting For Layoffs (IED, 3/23/10) - "FORTVILLE — Hancock County school districts continue to close in on budget cuts that include teacher layoffs. Mt. Vernon this week became the second county school system to commit to teacher layoffs. On Monday, the school board voted to cut 10 full-time teachers from the payroll next school year. It joins Greenfield-Central, which has said it will eliminate 14 positions, in announcing teacher layoffs..." (more) 12 Kankakee Valley School Corp. Teachers Receive School
RIF Notices (IED, 3/23/10)
- "WHEATFIELD -- Twelve teachers in the
Kankakee Valley School Corp. have received notice their jobs have been
eliminated as part of the district's attempt to trim close to $1 million from
its budget, according to officials...Assistant Superintendent Sharon Sanelli
said 12 of the original 31 teachers who received notice...were in physical
education, art and family and consumer science...Officials expect to cut between
21 and 25 teaching positions, about 12 percent of the workforce..." (more) Deeper cuts to K-12 education budgets are almost certain for the 2010-11 school year, Bloomington’s state legislators warned local business leaders on Monday. Their voices joined the growing chorus of experts who believe the state cannot maintain even its current level of funding. “It is known that there are going to be some more cuts coming,” state Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, told attendees at the 2010 Legislative Wrap-Up, hosted by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce at Terry’s Banquets and Catering. Education funding in Indiana faces a potent one-two punch, said state Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville. First, the state budget is still reeling. Balancing it this year required $300 million in K-12 funding cuts. Funding levels could conceivably fall next year, too, she said. Second, a financial safety net state schools used this year is scheduled to disappear. This year, about $610 million was funneled to Indiana schools by the federal stimulus program. That money has been earmarked and spent. There is not much momentum in Washington, D.C., for a new stimulus package, Simpson said. The politics in Indianapolis regarding education funding are tricky, Welch said. For instance, some politicians argued against a law that gave local school districts the financial flexibility to spend some capital funds on operating budgets, she said. The law was passed, but individual legislators argued that it was unwise to delay the pain, Welch said. Lois Sabo-Skelton and Keith Klein, two members of the Monroe County Community School Corp. board, attended the event. Other attendees were asked, by a show of hands, whether or not they would support a local school referendum in November. The majority of the 50 or so people in attendance said yes. Property tax caps Voters will certainly decide another issue in November: whether or not to embed Indiana’s current property tax system into Indiana’s Constitution. Bloomington’s legislators said that would be unwise. “We do not have all the information we need to make that decision permanent,” Simpson said. Her concerns were echoed by Bill Waltz, the vice president of taxation and public finance for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Many individuals support the proposal, because residential tax rates would be capped at just 1 percent, versus 2 percent for rentals, and 3 percent for businesses, he said. While it appears popular, the system could seriously alter Indiana’s business climate, and damage the state’s local governments, Waltz said. It is too early to tell what will happen, though, he said. “There is a lot of impact that is not known,” Waltz said. “I hope we know where we are going.”
30 New Castle Community School Teachers Laid Off (IED,
4/11/10) - "...Because
of state cuts, property tax shortfalls and other factors, NCCSC must cut about
$2.7 million from its budget...one teacher being laid off has 24 years of
experience...departments with cuts include adult
basic education, art, music, physical education, business, English, math, social
studies, science, guidance, industrial tech and family and consumer science." (more) Eastern Hancock Schools Cut 16 Percent Of Certified Teaching Staff (IED, 4/11/10) - "CHARLOTTESVILLE - ...The staff reductions, which amount to 16 percent of the district’s certified teaching staff, include five teachers who agreed in March to retire early...The board also voted not to fill 39 coaching positions and other extra-curricular jobs to save $41,500 next year..." (more) Northwest Allen Cuts 30 Teachers, Extracurricular Jobs Sliced, Staff Revamped In Budget (Ft. Wayne JG, 4/13/10) - "The Northwest Allen County Schools board voted unanimously Monday to cut $2.4 million from its 2010 budget by reducing 30 teaching positions, eliminating extracurricular positions and reducing costs from its staff. Business manager Bill Mallers said the budget cuts were necessary to address the district’s unforeseen drop in state funds and plummeting tax revenue. He said he anticipated further cuts in state funding and said the board would need to make more cuts in the next two years...At the elementary level, the district will cut 15 positions, including classroom teaching positions, art teaching positions and counselors...At the middle school level, the district will lose seven teaching positions and extracurricular staff involved in intramurals, track and winter cheerleading...At Carroll High School, eight teaching and guidance counselor positions will be reduced. Positions will also be cut from strength and conditioning, track, basketball, football, swimming, golf and cheerleading. Dance, band and vocal programs will also be affected..." (more) It's Official: 20 Positions Are Cut At Southern Hancock Schools
(IED,
4/15/10) - "NEW PALESTINE — With public education in crisis mode...voted
unanimously Monday to approve budget cuts for the 2010 school year that
eliminates 17 full-time teaching positions and makes five other teaching
positions part time. In all, 22 teachers will be affected...Teachers
and administrators have agreed to no increase in salary for the next two years,
which will save an estimated $200,000..." (more) Budget Forces Hanover Schools In Lake County To Cut 14 Jobs (IED, 4/15/10) - "CEDAR LAKE -- The Hanover Community School Corp. board voted Tuesday to eliminate six elementary school teaching positions, a middle school counselor and seven kindergarten aides at Lincoln Elementary School. In December, Gov. Mitch Daniels ordered schools across the state to cut $300 million due to declining sales tax revenues. Hanover's portion of that cut is $500,000...Superintendent Carol Kaiser outlined the series of cuts that the district has made so far, including reducing benefits for administrators and janitors and eliminating school board members' meeting pay..." (more) Oak Hills Schools In Grant County Approves 11 RIFS (IED, 4/17/10) - "With a unanimous 6-0 vote, the Oak Hill United School Corp. board of trustees adopted Superintendent Joel Martin’s request to notify 11 teachers of possible contract eliminations at the end of this school year...Six elementary and special education teachers, three secondary teachers and two music teachers, which will only be partial reductions, will receive the notifications..." (more)
top
Schools Strain To Run Athletic Programs On Less Money:
Consolidating
Jobs, Cutting Coaches, Adding Fees Among Strategies (Ind'pls Star, 4/24/10) When Mike Huey retires in June after 39 years as an educator, the past 19 as the athletic director at New Palestine High School, he won't be replaced in the conventional style. State revenues far below projections have caused school corporations throughout Indiana to look for creative ways to cut expenditures, with extracurriculars and athletics included. At New Palestine, dean of students Miles Hercamp will double as an administrator and athletic director, a move that will account for $102,000 of the more than $1.4 million general budget fund reductions for the Southern Hancock County school corporation for next school year. New Palestine isn't alone. Decatur Central is making a similar move, moving athletic director Doug Opel and assistant athletic director Jill Meerman to teaching positions. Kelly McWilliams, currently the Gold Academy principal, will take over as the new athletic director. In a time of serious belt-tightening for state-funded schools, anything and everything is considered. Huey, 62, operated without an assistant AD during his time at New Palestine, a school that fields all 20 sports offered by the Indiana High School Athletic Association. "Everybody will be asked to do more with less," said Huey, who added that he typically works a 60- or 70-hour week. "That's the nature of what we do. It's all about the dollar right now. You just hope it's not the kids who ultimately pay the price." While most schools have been able to avoid cutting programs, some are taking a hit in other areas. Franklin Central cut 211/2 coaching positions. New Palestine plans to cut 50 percent of the money allocated for coaching stipends. School boards at Franklin Central and Greenfield-Central will vote on instituting an athletics fee at meetings Monday. Greenfield-Central athletic director Kevin Horrigan said he has proposed a $50-per-year fee for athletes that would generate roughly $20,000 of the $34,000 he needs to cut from athletics. "I submitted a proposal with several different plans in order of preference," Horrigan said. "The last three things on the list were cutting freshman level teams, coaching positions and stipends. I don't want to do any of those things." Franklin Central athletic director Brian Avery said the main topic of conversation three weeks ago at the annual state athletic directors association meeting was the budget situation. It could be just as bad next year. "Everybody is trying to figure out what everybody else is doing," he said. "This is my 10th year and it's by far the worst it's been." Avery admits his school's situation "is probably a little worse" than most. The Franklin Township school board will vote on a "Pay to Participate" program that would cost a high school athlete $460 to play three sports. That is on top of a $10 or $20 transportation fee depending on the sport. Franklin Township is implementing a number of other cost-cutting measures, including: making parents responsible for transporting students to middle school games; training high school coaches to drive minibuses instead of taking large buses; scheduling nonconference contests close to Franklin Township; and scheduling freshman, junior varsity and varsity on the same day to eliminate duplicated travel costs. The only sport Franklin Township cut -- so far -- was middle school golf. "We're trying to keep everything for a year and see how it goes," Avery said. "We definitely don't want to cut freshman programs. Obviously your best freshmen are usually up with the varsity or junior varsity, but then you're eliminating a lot of opportunities. (Purdue basketball player) JaJuan Johnson was on our eighth-grade 'B' team. He's obviously a rare case, but it happens where some kids develop later." LaVille, a school in Northern Indiana that competes in Class 2A in football and Class A in other sports, dropped its freshman programs. Athletic director Brian Stultz said the size of the school made it an easier decision. "We haven't fielded a girls freshman basketball team for two years," Stultz said. The Brownsburg school board voted April 12 to introduce a "program support fee" of $50 per athlete per season. Cutbacks include reducing the number of corporation athletic directors from four to 31/2; the elimination of one paid coaching position in high school football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, swimming, wrestling, baseball, softball and track and field; the suspension of middle school boys and girls soccer and swimming; the elimination of middle school "B" teams for basketball and football, and other measures, according to a release issued by high school athletic director Greg Hill. Huey's replacement at New Palestine, Hercamp, said it will take a group effort to keep the athletic department running smoothly. "It's going to be a challenge," Hercamp said. "It'll take everybody working together to make it work, and we'll probably have to delegate to the coaches even more. It's a tough time for everybody. But I can't complain -- I'm fortunate that I have a job." Star reporter Patrick Dorsey contributed to this story.Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. FWCS To Idle, Call Back Teachers - 284 To Get Layoff Notices In May, Some Expected To Be Recalled (Ft. Wayne JG, 5/2/10) - "Fort Wayne Community Schools will lay off 284 teachers in May, though some will be called back to their jobs this fall. District officials previously said they expected at least 91 teaching positions to be eliminated...Although the district will send out 284 notices, Stockman said there will be 193 positions available in the fall. But it’s possible, she said, that the laid-off teachers won’t have the certifications necessary for those jobs. Those who will be laid off are 45 elementary teachers, 78 middle school teachers and 161 high school teachers..." (more)
State Tells Public School Superintendents To Prepare For More Budget Cuts
(IED, 5/22/10)
- "...New Castle
Community School Corp. and schools around the state are bracing for the
possibility of deeper budget cuts for next year. (Superintendent
Steve) Fisher said that warning came in an e-mail he and other superintendents
received from the Indiana Department of Education. In the e-mail, Chief
Financial Officer Lance Rhodes recommends schools starting to budget for 2011 to
'assume levels that represent percentage reductions similar to 2010 reductions.'
Fisher said he interprets that to
mean schools should count on budget cuts around 4.5 percent. And he and other
superintendents believe those cuts will be announced after the November election..."
(more) Noblesville Schools Will Cut 39 Positions (Ind'pls Star, 5/22/10) - "Noblesville -- Noblesville Schools will cut 39 staff positions after voters approved a referendum that next year will add $5 million more annually to the district's budget. A media specialist, a speech pathologist, five guidance counselors and 32 teachers will be laid off because the recession has lessened revenues coming to public schools across the state..." (more) Shelbyville Schools Cuts 5 Teachers To Save $250,000 (IED, 5/22/10) - "Five city schoolteachers lost their jobs Thursday night as the struggling economy and decreases in state funding continue to adversely affect the local education community. During a 10-minute special meeting of the Shelbyville Central Schools Board, members voted unanimously, with Dr. James Rees absent, not to renew the teaching contracts for two semi-permanent and three nonpermanent positions..." (more)
Referendums: "If You Keep Throwing Money At The Schools, (The State
Legislature Will) Never Correct The Problem" Of School Funding (retitled,
Lafayette Journal Courier, 5/22/10) "Mary Beth Boyd couldn't hold back her tears on Tuesday night when she heard the results of the West Lafayette schools property tax referendum...The referendum -- approved by a nearly two-to-one margin -- will increase taxes by up to 43 cents per $100 assessed value for seven years starting in 2011. That is expected to raise an additional $3.5 million for the school district annually for its general fund...One of the taxpayers affected will be John Basham, who owns a number of rental properties in West Lafayette. He said he estimates his tax impact from the referendum could be as high as $175,000, which he'll have to find somewhere. 'It puts us back seven years,' Basham said. 'If you keep throwing money at the schools, (the state legislature will) never correct the problem' of school funding." (more)
Shortfall Is Causing Schools To Cut Deep, Only 2 Area Districts Didn't Trim
Budgets (Ft. Wayne JG, 5/24/10) School districts across the state are gutting extracurricular staff, trimming summer school, or telling teachers they might not have a job this fall in preparation for what could be the most challenging school year in decades. District officials say the cutbacks are inevitable in the wake of the state’s $300 million in cuts to K-12 education caused by dwindling tax revenues. In the four public school districts in Allen County, about 150 teaching positions have been cut, though district officials say the number of actual layoffs could be higher. The cuts are in line with national and state trends: a recent survey by the American Association of Teachers found that nine out of 10 superintendents planned to lay off teachers this summer. The National Education Association reports between 150,000 and 300,000 teachers across the U.S. could lose their jobs. Nate Schnellenberger, president of the Indiana State Teachers Association, said it’s possible 5,000 fewer teachers could be in Indiana classrooms this fall. “These are the biggest challenges I’ve ever seen,” said Bill Mallers, who has been in the business office at Northwest Allen County Schools for nine years. The district had to cut $2.4 million from its 2010 budget, sending layoff notices to 24 of its teachers and scaling back future building improvements in the process. Northern Wells Community Schools has made the most drastic budget cuts, reducing its 2010 budget by about 8 percent or about $520 a student, according to a Journal Gazette analysis. Of 26 public school districts in northeast Indiana, only two – Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District and Fremont Community Schools – said they’ve been able to avoid budget reductions. Fort Wayne Community Schools made the second-highest per-student reductions in the region and the largest in Allen County. In April, the district board voted to trim $15 million from the 2010 budget, a reduction that amounts to about $475 a student. Chief Financial Officer Kathy Friend said the district’s per-student cut could be higher than others because the district receives more money per pupil from the state than other area school corporations. The Fort Wayne district receives extra state funds because of the number of students who qualify for free and reduced-priced lunches, she said. As part of its budget-cutting plan, the district plans to eliminate 91 teaching positions, though officials say more could lose their jobs. “In my years with the district, these are some of the most challenging financially because we don’t know when our situation will improve,” Friend said in a statement. “The cuts made by the state this year are unprecedented, but these are unprecedented economic times.” School districts are trying a range of solutions to trim their budgets, in many cases conducting public meetings where residents have weighed in on controversial decisions. Northern Wells Community Schools might sell a central office building. Whitko Community Schools will charge a fee for sports. East Allen County Schools cut back on its summer school program. Fort Wayne Community and North Adams Community Schools have opted to close schools. All school districts received about a 4.5 percent reduction in state money. But in some cases other factors, including decreasing enrollment, caps on property taxes, and financial struggles before the state cuts have added to budget problems. Northern Wells Superintendent Scott Mills, for example, said overstaffing was causing his district financial struggles before the state’s cuts this past winter. After the state shorted the district $700,000, he was forced to make the most drastic cuts in the area. Jonathan Plucker, director of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University, attributes the budget crunch to two factors: the recession and the state’s decision in 2008 to switch the majority of education funding from local property taxes to state-controlled funding by means of sales and income tax. “It was a quick move, and I’m not so sure it was a good move,” he said of the switch. “Then the worst recession in our lifetime hits. And what’s the worst possible tax stream to rely on when a recession hits? Sales tax. And that’s where we took our most hits.” Several superintendents and business managers said they fear their financial challenges will only get worse in coming years. This month, in a move that added to their concerns, Lance V. Rhodes, chief financial officer for the Indiana Department of Education, sent district superintendents a letter indicating that the state’s reduction in education funding would likely continue through 2011. “We were all looking for the low-hanging fruit,” said Mark Gould, superintendent of Hamilton Community Schools. “But if we have another round of cuts, it’s going to be much more difficult.” Despite dire predictions, Schnellenberger said there could be reason for hope, at least when it comes to teacher layoffs. In April, he pointed out, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, proposed a $23 billion school bailout bill that would provide more education financing to prevent impending teacher reductions. In March, U.S. Rep. George Miller, a California Democrat, introduced a similar jobs bill that included a $23 billion school rescue plan. Facing an uncertain future, some district officials still manage to remain positive. “I didn’t anticipate all of this when I started,” said Dennis Stockdale, who became superintendent of DeKalb County’s Garrett-Keyser-Butler Community Schools in 2008. “But it’s still the best job you can have, because it’s doing what you can for kids. And if you keep that focus, you can get through all of this other stuff.”
Bracing
For More Cuts: State Funding Shift, Recession Force Lean Times, Large Challenges
(Times of Northwest Indiana, 5/25/10) The brunt of school budget cuts -- teacher layoffs, reductions in art, music and gym and cutbacks in extracurricular programs -- will affect children in school systems struggling with youngsters in high poverty who need tutoring or extra help during the school day, after school and over the summer. How is our educational system being reshaped by this economic distress and, more importantly, what does that mean for our children? Educators say it could mean crowded classrooms and fewer classroom aides. It could mean consolidating programs and buildings. It could mean reducing summer school. In some districts, it could mean eliminating art, music and gym. For school employees, it could mean renegotiating contracts with the teacher's union and other employee groups, outsourcing transportation and custodial services, suspending matches of retirement benefits, freezing salaries and renegotiating insurance and other benefits. And parents and students should brace for more cuts in 2011. Educators acknowledge that funding schools through property taxes was not perfect but it was predictable. Now, two years into legislators' decision to shift more funding responsibility to the state, districts are forced to deal with the volatility of state revenue, particularly the sales tax. That shift and the collapse of the economy are the culprits of the school funding woes that we are dealing with now, said Terry Spradlin, associate director of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University in Bloomington. "The state has collected far less revenue than expected," he said. "As of today, we're off by nearly $900 million. No one projected that kind of revenue shortfall, especially so soon after the state took over the general fund." Retaining practical goals Indiana's top educator, state schools Superintendent Tony Bennett is pushing for reform and educational gains despite the negative revenue forecasts. Bennett said the state Department of Education expects that each school year every student should learn one year's worth of information no matter where that student falls on the achievement scale. Bennett intends to pull Indiana up from its middle-of-the-road ranking to being among those states showing academic excellence. Earlier this year, the College Board reported that 15.9 percent of public school students graduated from high school in 2009 having scored well on at least one Advanced Placement exam, a test that is predictive of college success. Indiana had 10.4 percent, behind the national statistic, as well as neighboring states Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and Michigan. By the end of his term in 2012, Bennett is pushing to have 90 percent of all students passing both math and English/language arts sections of ISTEP-Plus and end-of-course assessments and 90 percent of all students graduating from high school. That's compared to a current status of 73 percent of students passing both math and English on the annual ISTEP tests section and end-of-course assessments now and an average of 77.8 percent of students graduating from high school in the 2007-08 school year. If the state wants to improve education, Merrillville Community School Corp. Superintendent Tony Lux said Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels is going to have to make a choice -- more education cuts or higher taxes. School officials in traditional public schools as well as charter schools received a memo May 11 from Lance Rhodes, chief financial officer of the Indiana Department of Education, recommending schools begin the 2011 budgeting process assuming a cut similar to what they experienced this year. State officials encouraged school leaders to budget "cautiously and conservatively" in case state revenue collections do not improve. Lux said if next year's cut is the same as 2010, he will lose at least another $1.8 million. Transferring money Both Lux and School Town of Highland Superintendent Michael Boskovich said they intend to take advantage of new legislation that allows districts to transfer money between funds. For Merrillville, it will mean transferring $260,000 into the general fund. For Highland, Boskovich said it will mean transferring $75,000 into the general fund to assist with salary and benefits. He said the district has about $400,000 in its cash reserves, but he expects that to be wiped out next year. Though he wasn't in office at the time, Bennett said he supported state property tax caps and moving the general fund budget away from property taxes to state support, moves that were approved in 2008 and took effect last year. "Many people would say that local property taxes were more stable, but one could argue that it allowed schools to budget backwards," Bennett said. "There is no other industry where we generate revenue to meet expenses. Under the new way of budgeting, we know what the revenue is and we have to manage our expenses accordingly." Because the state supports school general funds, the revenue-stripping property tax caps do not impact school general fund budgets, said Melissa Ambre, finance director for the Indiana Department of Education. However, it will have some impact on other funds such as debt service or transportation, she said. In Highland, the district had to cut $1.8 million this year. It had to cut nearly $900,000 as a result of state funding cuts. It lost another $900,000 from excise taxes and a little more than $200,000 because of declining enrollment. The Highland School Board voted to cut 4.5 teaching jobs and eliminated a variety of aide positions including instructional aides, English as a second language aides, clerks, librarians and secretaries. Seven custodians were eliminated. However, Boskovich will be able to preserve a dozen teaching positions in the fall by tapping $1 million from the teacher's insurance reserve. Another solution being used by a dozen school districts in the state asking their respective communities for more money through a referendum. Of that number, eight have passed. No Child Left Behind and changes in Indiana education policy Bennett does not believe the federal No Child Left Behind Act will be reauthorized this year. However, he hopes that when it is considered it will include a measure for student growth. He also said he hopes there will be more state autonomy to build an accountability system. According to U.S. Department of Education website, No Child Left Behind is based on four principles: stronger accountability for results, more freedom for states and communities, proven education methods and more choices for parents. Indiana developed Public Law 221, a few years ahead of NCLB, to establish major education reform and accountability statewide. During highly-publicized visits and invoking the requirements of Indiana's Public Law 221, Bennett said the state could take over 23 failing schools, six of them in Lake County. The federal government has suggested various strategies for turning around the nation's lowest performing schools, from replacing the principal and at least 50 percent of the teaching staff to closing the failing school and enrolling students in other higher-achieving schools in the district. In early May, the State Board of Education approved a plan to substitute letter grades for the descriptive terms such as exemplary progress or commendable progress under state law. Gov. Daniels is expected to approve the new system, which will assign letter grades based on student performance and improvement on ISTEP tests. "I am not supportive of the idea (of grading schools)," said Union Township Schools Superintendent John Hunter. He said the grades are too focused on ISTEP results, and that the annual test doesn't take into account how many days a child has been in that school, whether the child is proficient in English or has special needs. A veteran teacher from an urban school district who wants to remain anonymous agreed. She describes the NCLB legacy as "No School Left Standing." "The mandates aren’t realistic because not all students are alike. None of the legislation takes into account factors like poverty, disabilities, or the lack of monetary resources for some school districts," she said. "Instead of educating children, we’re teaching to the test. That doesn’t leave time or room to foster imagination, creativity or a love of learning." In November 2009, Bennett announced the Indiana would aggressively pursue a piece of the more than $4 billion in the "Race to the Top" grants. Indiana had hoped to win $250 million or more to pay for new programs. However, in late March, Delaware and Tennessee won the grants in the first phase of Race to the Top. Indiana dropped out with Bennett saying he didn't have the support of state teacher unions. More changes in Indiana policies coming A new era in teacher licensing and preparation begins this summer, and some in the education profession question how these new regulations will impact the education of generations to come. On Jan. 7, the state board overseeing teacher licensing and preparation changed the regulations to allow adults from other careers to more easily transition into the teaching profession and to require that all new teachers be experts in the subjects they teach. The changes include the following: * Elementary teachers (K to 6) must earn a baccalaureate degree consisting of an education major with a content-area minor OR a content-area major with an education minor. * Secondary teachers (grades 5 to 12) must receive a baccalaureate degree consisting of any applicable content-area major as well as a minor in education. REPA, the Rules for Educator Preparation and Accountability, was passed after three public meetings held in central and southern Indiana. The REPA regulations will be effective July 31, 2010. Students currently enrolled in teacher preparation programs will be transitioned into these new rules between now and August 2013. Education funding Underneath all of this remains the issue of school funding. School budgets are at the mercy of state revenue. Indiana is not the only state experiencing revenue shortfalls. Other states have cut hundreds of millions of dollars in education funding. Virtually every state in the country has had to eliminate teachers. Indiana State Teachers Association President Nate Schellenberger said about 5,000 teachers will be out of a job in the fall. However, state education leader Bennett maintains that just because there is less money does not mean we lower expectations. "If we do that, we condemn a generation of kids to lower achievement and lower standards," he said.
Whitley
County Schools Cutting Nine Staff Members (IED, 5/26/10) - "...The
reduction in force included one middle school science teacher, two high school
business teachers, one high school family skills teacher, one middle school
administrative assistant, three elementary and middle school paraprofessionals
and a half-time reduction for one high school radio and television teacher..."
(more)
49
Teachers Cut For Budget: South Bend Board Members Disagree On Issue Of Seniority
(South Bend Tribune, 5/29/10) "...A total of 49 teachers won't come back this fall because of budget cuts. That passed Thursday in a 4-3 vote by the school board, a close vote that questioned the use of seniority to determine which teachers stay. Another six teachers will be cut because of poor evaluations. That passed unanimously...(Board member Roger) Parent said that using seniority rather than a teacher's specialized training or competence is a "formula for disaster" in schools. 'If private and public charters are allowed to retain their teachers based on specialized training and performance, and our public schools are not,' he wrote in a memo to the board, 'we all know what will happen.' 'There is no organization today that cuts people in times of trouble on the basis of seniority,' he said in the meeting. 'They keep people who are most valuable.'..." Bremen Community Schools Board Closes Pool, Continues Cuts (IED, 5/29/10) - "BREMEN — Kristy Rupert, who has taught Bremen students how to swim at the school system’s indoor pool...The board, by the conclusion of the meeting, was within $31,879 of reaching the total $392,000 reduction, having cut more than $360,000. The meeting was attended by about 50 people, including teachers. They heard the board discuss, then vote to approve the second phase of budget reductions that included elimination of the pool day program (the teaching of swimming to students during the day), at an over-all savings through 2011 of $48,953; the outsourcing of custodial and maintenance at the schools, at a savings of about $10,000; the partnering with Community Hospital of Bremen for the cost of school nurse services at a savings of $5,663; eliminating the full-time media center assistant, replacing the position with two part-time assistants, at a reduction of $1,622; the early retirement incentive acceptance by two teachers, saving $17,895, and a reduction of $7,173 by transferring up to 5 percent of the capital projects fund to pay for the early incentive retirements, making a final payment on a truck purchased four years ago, and carrying over the remaining balance." (more) Clarksville Schools Laying Off About 20 Percent Of Its Teachers (IED, 6/3/10) - "CLARKSVILLE — The future is uncertain for Cara Walters. She, among 19 other teachers at Clarksville Community School Corp., will be without a job this fall, reducing the teaching staff by about 20 percent...(Superintendent Kim Knott) had proposed a referendum that would have raised taxes 24 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to those owning property in the district. That failed, with 55 percent of the vote going against the referendum May 4...Knott said she’s unsure if other layoffs will be needed throughout the year in other positions or if more teachers will need to be cut next year. Tuesday’s cuts include 10 elementary-level teachers and 10 secondary teachers, Knott said..." (more)
Westfield Washington
School Board Seeks $32.2 Million In Operating Fund Referendum (IED, 6/10/10) -
"Westfield
residents will be asked to pay an additional
23 cents per $100 of assessed value for the next seven years on
November's general election ballot. The Westfield Washington School Board
unanimously approved the operating fund resolution, which totals a maximum of
$32.2 million, during its monthly meeting Tuesday night.
Westfield Washington Schools Superintendent Mark Keen said the district will
request $4.6 million a year - an amount lower than recent operating fund
referendums approved by the neighboring Hamilton County school districts of
Noblesville, Hamilton Southeastern and Carmel Clay..." (more)
Anderson Community Schools
Tax Hike To Appear On November Ballot (IED, 6/10/10) - "ANDERSON
— The Anderson Community Schools board is asking voters to approve a property
tax hike that would have area residents paying 55 cents more for every $100 of
assessed value. This means a taxpayer whose property has an assessed value of
$50,000 after all deductions, for example, would owe up to an extra $275 if the
referendum passes in November...The tax hike is estimated to draw between $7.5
million and $8 million in revenue for the cash-strapped district. Voters have
the right to vote the measure down on Nov. 2.." (more)
Shelby County Sets
November Tax Referendum (IED, 6/10/10) - "FAIRLAND
— Northwestern Consolidated Schools wants voters to decide on a $500,000
referendum in November. School board members voted 6-0 Wednesday night to move
ahead with the referendum. If passed by voters, it
would increase the tax rate by $0.116 per $100 of assessed valuation...The
referendum would raise extra taxes to support the school system’s operating
budget. State officials have cut general funds for school systems throughout the
state..." (more) Cowan School Board Cuts Employees, Hours (Muncie Star Press, 6/11/10) - "COWAN -- Cowan Community Schools terminated four employees and reduced the hours of two counselors and a psychologist in an effort to curb costs...The reductions are part of a need for Cowan to cut $190,000 in response to Gov. Mitch Daniels move to slash K-12 funding by $300 million..." (more)
Delaware County Schools To
Lose Even More Funding Because Of Tax Caps (Muncie Star Press, 6/30/10) MUNCIE -- The picture isn't getting prettier for local schools. Just ask Darin Gullion, assistant superintendent of Delaware Community Schools. The latest report of the effects of property tax caps put the school district another $50,000 in the hole -- and he's not sure why. "I don't have an explanation for that," Gullion said Friday. The corporation had planned for $90,000 to $100,000 less in 2010, but the latest numbers from the Delaware County auditor's office indicate the amount will be more than $148,000. "It already hurts, but it just hurts more," Gullion said. Like other schools, Del-Com already is well aware of the need to scale back spending. This year the corporation closed one of its elementary schools and laid off staff. Now, it'll have to cut more from the capital projects, transportation and bus replacement funds in 2010. (School general funds are state supported, and are no longer propped up with local property tax dollars.) As of now, Gullion said it was too early to say what would be cut next, though he said additional layoffs were "not likely." It's a similar story in Yorktown, where financial advisor William Roberson said Yorktown Community Schools will lose $595,312 this year. "The next priority is to transport kids to school, so that means capital projects will take the hit," Roberson said. In all, the seven public school corporations in Delaware County stand to lose more than $6 million in 2010, with the bulk of that coming out of funds at Muncie Community Schools. Yet, some of that amount -- including some of the $5.1 million cut from Muncie -- will be offset by special, limited-time-only grants awarded to school systems that were to lose more than 2 percent of their total budget to tax caps. The key is that 2010 is supposed to be the last year of those grants. That means for schools, 2011 will be the year of real pain. Additional FactsThe pinch on schools These cuts won't affect the
general fund -- as those are no longer supported with local property tax
dollars -- but instead will take away from school capital projects, debt,
transportation and bus replacement funds. Advocates For Librarians Lament Strategy Schools Used In Making Budget Cuts (IED, 7/8/10) - "GREENFIELD — Students across the state will return to school this August to find fewer faces in their libraries, an effect of budget cuts that experts say is detrimental to the educational process. According to the Association for Indiana Media Educators, as many as 80 library positions (certified librarians and their assistants) have been cut statewide for the 2010-11 school year...Approximately 44 million elementary, middle, and high school students use a school library each week..." (more) Hobart Raises School Bus Fees; Athletics And Performing Arts Face Charges (IED, 7/9/10) - "HOBART -- Bus fees are on the rise for the 2010-11 school year and for the first time transportation fees will be assessed for athletics and the performing arts...Daily ridership fees will apply to all elementary and secondary school students. The fees climb from $20 per student per year to $25 in 2010-11...Students participating in extracurricular activities including athletics and the performing arts will be paying for transportation for the first time...Transportation for athletics will be on a per season basis for three seasons, summer, fall and spring. Any student participating in athletics will be charged $20 per season for transportation for a maximum yearly fee of $60. The $20 fee will cover all sports that the student is involved in that particular season. Cheerleaders will be charged $20 per season with a maximum charge of $40 for the year. Members of the singing group Wolfgang will also be tapped to pay for their own transportation this year...it costs $1.89 per mile besides fuel to operate the buses when you factor in the cost of maintenance, repairs and replacement..." (more) Communities Step In To Help Out Schools: Websites Are Collecting Donations To Pay Coaches, Club Advisers (Ind'pls Star, 7/9/10) "...Mt. Vernon is one of two Indiana communities rising up to fund school activities that have been cut as the state sees declining revenue and school districts are forced to make budget cuts. The school foundations in Mt. Vernon Community Schools and Monroe County Community Schools have launched major campaigns to pay dozens of sponsors, advisers and coaches...In the Mt. Vernon district, just east of Indianapolis, a website lists each of the positions in jeopardy and asks people to donate a few dollars to fund them...Positions to be funded include art and drama club, Spanish club, computer club and a wide variety of assistant coaches for sports teams...John Ellis, director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, said more and more school districts are likely to face similar situations if the recession and state budget cuts continue...So far, all districts have had to make cuts, but most have not eliminated funding for athletic coaches or extracurricular sponsors in their entirety. Monroe County Community Schools, which includes Bloomington, is one of the few that has. Its nonprofit foundation is trying to raise $750,000 to restore all sports and extra-curriculars. The School Board decided that it would not restore individual activities as they are funded but would either cut all of them or pay for all of them. That includes many sports teams, National Honor Society, student council, newspaper and yearbook, and the Academic Super Bowl team... Additional FactsTo donate |
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