With the “Great Recession” the economic outlook in Indiana has been downright bleak. It’s so bleak that the state has been forced to cut funding to K-12 schools and all publicly funded post secondary schools. This is primarily due to the cuts in property taxes passed several years ago, which is where our public schools get their money. A decade ago, I didn’t really care, as my time in school was horrible at best. I have a daughter in 4th grade now, and another who will be in school before I know it. It’s important to me that they have the same opportunities to enrich their lives that I had.
While the post secondary schools can handle these cuts by many different means, our public (K-12) schools have very limited means to deal with the lack of funding.
Many are closing or consolidating schools, requiring payment to ride a bus, adding fees for extra-curricular activities. This is almost all options our public schools have, and it really ticks me off.
While I’ve been hearing about school systems around Indianapolis having meetings and public forums to discuss how they are going to handle these shortfalls, it didn’t hit home until our local school system, MCCSC (Monroe County Community School Corporation) brought up the subject. They are proposing to eliminate many of the programs and services that make our school system diverse and great.
There has been talk of a referendum that if passed, would help eliminate that shortfall. I’m all for it, but I don’t know how much support it really has. My property taxes are so low, that it wouldn’t bother me at all to pay a little extra to help my childrens education. Property tax caps are the reason for this mess in the first place. Thank you Mitch Daniels, you’ve done a wonderful job ruining the surplus our state had.
Here’s a list of the proposed cuts:
• Increase class-size ratio, generating approximately 45 certified staff (teaching) cuts.
• Eliminate elementary and middle school media specialists.
• Eliminate middle school foreign language.
• Eliminate middle school Family and Consumer Science.
• Eliminate one assistant, part-time athletic director at each high school.
• Reduce high school assistant coaches (no specific numbers or areas revealed)
• Possibly reduce extracurricular activities (brain game, spell bowl, etc.) at high schools and middle schools.
• Eliminate six elementary assistant principal positions for 2011-12.
• Eliminate the unfilled assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction job and the secretarial job for that post.
• Eliminate the healthy school coordinator position.
• Freeze all administrative salaries.
• Reduce school board salaries.
• Consolidate Aurora Alternative High School into an existing high school with some reduction to staff.
• Close the Teen Learning Center.
• Close Alternative to Suspension.
• Close Youth Outreach.
• Eliminate the Bradford Woods.
• Eliminate Honey Creek School.
• Eliminate elementary strings program.
• Drain the high school pools out of season.
• Eliminate Batchelor Middle School pool and fill it in.
• Eliminate substitutes for building secretaries.
• Eliminate summer school.
While some of these cuts make sense to me both financially and logically others do not. Here is a list of the programs/services that should be saved in my opinion.
- Elementary and middle school media specialists (librarians). This is a bad move, really bad. As a child I loved books, and I believe librarians are the reason why. Without librarians, our children won’t receive the proper knowledge, appreciation and enthusiasm about books. This seems like a gateway to eliminate libraries altogether.
- Reducing some extra-curricular activities. Some kids aren’t athletic, some kids like to expand their minds through some of these activities. Why punish those kids while leaving the ones who enjoy athletics alone? Why some and not all?
- Consolidation of Aurora. I’m a little on the fence about this issue. My generation was the first to use this invaluable resource. Some kids don’t learn well in normal learning environments. Aurora allows these kids to learn on their terms. In many cases these kids would simply drop out. While consolidation may help the bottom line, it’s not beneficial if it hurts the education of it’s students.
- Alternative to Suspension. Is this “In-school suspension?” That’s what the alternative was when I went. It should be saved so those students don’t fall farther behind, this is essentially turning your back on the students who need help the most.
- Eliminating Bradford Woods. When I went, it was a week long event. It’s now only a day or two I believe. While I understand it’s not completely necessary it is a nice treat to get away and learn about nature and your surroundings.
- Eliminating Honey Creek School. This astounds me. This school is a two room schoolhouse that is used as a learning lab for elementary students. They get the opportunity to act as if they are living in the 19th century. If you don’t appreciate your past, you’ll never appreciate what the future brings.
- Eliminating the Elementary Strings Program. This program is dear to my heart, as I was in this program in 4th and 5th grade. Without this the only interaction children have with instruments is the recorder in 4th grade. It’s really an eye opener to the world of music. Without this program, I don’t think I would have played the violin in the school systems’ orchestra from 7th grade until I left high school. I can’t wait for the day I can get my hands on another violin and start playing again. Music is essential to creativity, something that doesn’t transmit on paper.
- Eliminating Summer School. Hello? Seriously? I don’t even think I need to explain this one.
I hope the community will rally behind our children. They are our future! If you want to voice your opinion, the MCCSC has a web page you can visit and let them know. I’ll be sending them a link to this posting. Do the same! As Spock always said, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”
