Show support for 'Save our Schools'

To the editor:

We would like to provide clarification of comments that have been reported in The CR on Feb. 8 and Feb. 21 regarding Joe Vinson’s proposed “Save Our Schools” plans. 

As has been widely reported, Jay School Corporation is having fiscal difficulties and Pennville Elementary has been targeted for closure to alleviate the financial burden to the school corporation.  

The savings from closing Pennville Elementary are reported to be approximately $300,000 annually. We feel that a portion of this number will be negated by increased transportation costs and the loss of students to other districts, particularly to Southern Wells. We also know that the projected $300,000 annual savings in closing Pennville will not substantially alleviate the school corporation’s fiscal deficit in the long run and further consolidation/closings will be required.

The “Save our Schools” plan would keep an elementary school in Redkey, Dunkirk and Pennville and would provide an immediate cost savings to the school corporation of $1.4 to $2.4 million dollars. While this plan does suggest the closing of the current Westlawn Elementary building, it calls for those students to be moved to the West Jay Middle School building, retaining an elementary school in Dunkirk. It then proposes the move of current West Jay students to East Jay, which would consolidate the county middle schools.

It does call for the closing of Judge Haynes in Portland, however, this still leaves two elementary schools in Portland, and Judge Haynes students would remain in Portland.  While we understand that this does cause hurt in Portland, young children in Portland will still be able to attend an elementary school in town.  

Additionally, this plan helps to maintain the overall county economy. Studies have shown that small rural communities that lose schools have population decreases, declines in home values of up to 25 percent, and increases in the childhood poverty rate and the amount of welfare dollars per capita. Small businesses close and household incomes are lower due to the loss of self-employment income.

Pennville alone has over 20 small businesses and just nine of those businesses employ over 90 people. It would be foolish to think that as the county further consolidates schools that all of the employers and workers in Redkey, Dunkirk and Pennville would stay in the county.

We are already at a point where the county is dealing with budget issues, the hospital and ambulance service are struggling, the overall county poverty rate is 24th highest of 92 counties in the state and the county had the dubious distinction of having the highest childhood poverty rate in the state in 2016. Can we really afford to close schools in Pennville, Dunkirk and Redkey, thereby causing losses to the county through potential decreases in property, income and sales tax revenues? Can we really afford to enact a plan that we know will increase our already high poverty and childhood poverty rates?  

We urge the communities of Pennville, Dunkirk and Redkey to contact the school board and other elected officials in support of the “Save our Schools” plan to save our communities.

For more information about the plan, check out http://saveourschoolsandcommunities.weebly.com or send an email to [email protected].

Sincerely,

Tammy Hanlin and Joe Vinson

Pennville