October 11, 2017 at 3:25 a.m.
Parents raise consolidation concerns
Jay School Board
Parents raise consolidation concerns
Copyright 2017, The Commercial Review
All Rights Reserved
Concerns about disrupting the lives of kids, extracurricular opportunities at the middle school level and transportation were aired Tuesday night at the second of two special Jay School Board meetings to gather input on consolidation of schools in the face of declining student enrollment.
More than 50 gathered at East Jay Middle School to hear superintendent Jeremy Gulley detail the facts of enrollment decline and its impact on the school corporation’s general fund, which is expected to run a deficit again this year. That would mark the fifth time in six years the corporation has spent more general fund dollars than it has brought in.
“We’ve gotten some terrific feedback,” said board president Kristi Betts. “The seven of us aren’t going to think of everything.”
While not contesting the reality of declining enrollment, parents on hand said they wanted to make sure decisions are made thoughtfully.
“If we do less shifting of the kids, I think it would be better for all of us,” Judge Haynes Elementary School parent Jamie Coats told the board.
A decision on the closing of Judge Haynes is expected in December but now appears likely given the largest one-year drop in enrollment in the past decade.
Gulley has outlined a couple of different options that could eventually move middle school students to the high school building, close the Westlawn and General Shanks Elementary School buildings and house elementary school students in the current East Jay and West Jay middle school buildings in addition to Bloomfield, East and Redkey elementaries.
Along with the closing earlier this year of Pennville Elementary School, that reconfiguration would reduce the Jay Schools footprint from 10 buildings to six.
Parent Brian Ison zeroed in on how much savings would be realized from the closing of buildings. Specifically, he asked what the savings would be from the closing of Judge Haynes.
School corporation business manager Brad DeRome said those savings would be significant, with four teaching positions, a principal’s position, and four support staff eliminated.
DeRome said the savings would be phased in because of the pay system but would eventually amount to an estimated $381,000 per calendar year in salaries and benefits.
Nearly 90 percent of general fund spending goes toward personnel.
Shawna Runkle urged the board to consider the effect of a combined middle school on student participation in extracurriculars and athletics, and Gulley acknowledged that was an issue.
“We’ve got time to think that through,” he said.
Another Haynes parent, Natalie Shull, expressed concern about the impact of closing her son’s school on everyday life.
“You guys also have to think of the parents and their work schedules,” she said.
Betts stressed that the reconfiguration of schools is very much a work in progress.
“We want to hear your ideas,” she said. “If you come up with other ideas, email them to us.”
Gulley agreed.
“There are consequences for everything we do,” he said. “Every option has goods and bads.”
But, he added, “You might find that the opinions you’ve read on Facebook aren’t based on fact.”
Gulley’s one-hour presentation stressed the need for “efficiencies in staffing and elimination of redundancies” to help get the school corporation’s general fund back in order.
The school corporation is carrying historically low year-end balances in its general fund. The rule of thumb is that school systems should have a year-end cash balance of 8 to 12 percent.
“We are currently at 6.4 percent,” said Gulley. “There’s more money being spent than there’s money coming in.”
Nearly all of the dollars in the general fund come from state tax revenues.
The school corporation’s other five funds — debt service, pension debt service, transportation, capital projects, and bus replacement — are supported by local property tax revenues. Those funds can’t be legally shifted to the general fund.
Gulley noted that there have already been reductions in spending, in part because of the Pennville closing.
“In the last 10 months, there’s been a serious effort to change,” he said.
A total of 28 staff positions have been eliminated, largely through attrition.
All Rights Reserved
Concerns about disrupting the lives of kids, extracurricular opportunities at the middle school level and transportation were aired Tuesday night at the second of two special Jay School Board meetings to gather input on consolidation of schools in the face of declining student enrollment.
More than 50 gathered at East Jay Middle School to hear superintendent Jeremy Gulley detail the facts of enrollment decline and its impact on the school corporation’s general fund, which is expected to run a deficit again this year. That would mark the fifth time in six years the corporation has spent more general fund dollars than it has brought in.
“We’ve gotten some terrific feedback,” said board president Kristi Betts. “The seven of us aren’t going to think of everything.”
While not contesting the reality of declining enrollment, parents on hand said they wanted to make sure decisions are made thoughtfully.
“If we do less shifting of the kids, I think it would be better for all of us,” Judge Haynes Elementary School parent Jamie Coats told the board.
A decision on the closing of Judge Haynes is expected in December but now appears likely given the largest one-year drop in enrollment in the past decade.
Gulley has outlined a couple of different options that could eventually move middle school students to the high school building, close the Westlawn and General Shanks Elementary School buildings and house elementary school students in the current East Jay and West Jay middle school buildings in addition to Bloomfield, East and Redkey elementaries.
Along with the closing earlier this year of Pennville Elementary School, that reconfiguration would reduce the Jay Schools footprint from 10 buildings to six.
Parent Brian Ison zeroed in on how much savings would be realized from the closing of buildings. Specifically, he asked what the savings would be from the closing of Judge Haynes.
School corporation business manager Brad DeRome said those savings would be significant, with four teaching positions, a principal’s position, and four support staff eliminated.
DeRome said the savings would be phased in because of the pay system but would eventually amount to an estimated $381,000 per calendar year in salaries and benefits.
Nearly 90 percent of general fund spending goes toward personnel.
Shawna Runkle urged the board to consider the effect of a combined middle school on student participation in extracurriculars and athletics, and Gulley acknowledged that was an issue.
“We’ve got time to think that through,” he said.
Another Haynes parent, Natalie Shull, expressed concern about the impact of closing her son’s school on everyday life.
“You guys also have to think of the parents and their work schedules,” she said.
Betts stressed that the reconfiguration of schools is very much a work in progress.
“We want to hear your ideas,” she said. “If you come up with other ideas, email them to us.”
Gulley agreed.
“There are consequences for everything we do,” he said. “Every option has goods and bads.”
But, he added, “You might find that the opinions you’ve read on Facebook aren’t based on fact.”
Gulley’s one-hour presentation stressed the need for “efficiencies in staffing and elimination of redundancies” to help get the school corporation’s general fund back in order.
The school corporation is carrying historically low year-end balances in its general fund. The rule of thumb is that school systems should have a year-end cash balance of 8 to 12 percent.
“We are currently at 6.4 percent,” said Gulley. “There’s more money being spent than there’s money coming in.”
Nearly all of the dollars in the general fund come from state tax revenues.
The school corporation’s other five funds — debt service, pension debt service, transportation, capital projects, and bus replacement — are supported by local property tax revenues. Those funds can’t be legally shifted to the general fund.
Gulley noted that there have already been reductions in spending, in part because of the Pennville closing.
“In the last 10 months, there’s been a serious effort to change,” he said.
A total of 28 staff positions have been eliminated, largely through attrition.
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