Decision will come in March

A decision on the status of Pennville Elementary School is likely to be made in March, Jay Schools superintendent Jeremy Gulley said this week.

Gulley, who is working with a newly-appointed budget control committee to put the school corporation’s fiscal house in order, said a special Jay School Board meeting has been set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Pennville Elementary to hear the concerns of parents, teachers and the broader Pennville community.

Pennville Town Council, which regularly meets on the first Tuesday of each month, has shifted its meeting to 7 p.m. Monday.

Gulley is also seeking comment from the public via a survey on the school corporation’s website — www.jayschools.k12.in.us.

“I expect a decision point for the closing of that school (Pennville) in March,” Gulley said. “In order to effect a closure by the fall, March would be the decision point.”

He stressed that as the committee reviews a 2015 study of the school system’s buildings and facilities the focus will not be limited to Pennville.

“It may feel that Pennville is alone,” he said. “But simultaneously we will look at all the facilities. … It’s not just the Pennville school that’s being considered here. In time, there will be others.”

The Jay School Board in January unanimously adopted a budget control framework aimed at ending deficit spending in the system’s general fund, which is funded nearly 100 percent by state tax revenues. State support is directly tied to the number of students, and Jay Schools has seen declining enrollment in 15 of the past 17 years.

Deficit spending in recent years has resulted in the general fund’s cash balance shrinking below prudent levels. Current estimates indicate a deficit of $384,370 in 2017, and the current cash balance is already at a 20-year low.

“The school board sent a very unified message,” said Gulley.

He noted that because of the link between total enrollment and state funding, the problem cannot be solved merely by shuffling students from one school to another. School closings and reductions in teaching staff appear to be inevitable.

Gulley, who grew up in Montpelier and saw his own school close, is sympathetic to those facing the prospect of losing their school.

“I do not feel that anyone who wants to keep their school is an obstacle or an opponent,” he said. “I respect that. … The emotional meaning of a school is heartfelt. … It is something I relate to.”

Gulley stressed that teaching staff from Pennville, if it were to close, would be absorbed into Jay Schools and that any reductions in force would then be made based upon factors such as experience, evaluations and teaching qualifications.

“If we reduce staff, that would be done under employment guidelines for reductions in force,” he said, noting that he has met with representatives of Jay Classroom Teachers Association to review the RIF policy.

The focus of next week’s meeting will be to hear the concerns of those directly affected by a Pennville closing so that those can be addressed between now and the fall, said Gulley.

“There are practical questions,” he said, noting that he will be meeting with Pennville parents, teachers and staff in the days ahead. “This could be a scary thing for a kid. The question is, how can we make kids feel safe and secure?”

Those concerns can also be aired via the corporation’s website. Gulley noted that a survey at the site has already received about 100 responses.

“It’s intended to give a voice,” he said. “I think it’s a worthwhile thing to do.”

Gulley indicated the budget control committee now includes himself, school board members Phil Ford and Ron Laux, teachers Donna Geesaman, Tammy Boltz and Rhonda Clott, principals Jeff Davis, Fred Medler and Chad Dodd, and Paul Szymczak, president of JCTA. Others may be brought in from time to time in the future, he said.