CLARK COUNTY — Greater Clark County Schools has won the petition and remonstrance process to move forward with $22 million in renovations at three district schools.
According to a news release, Greater Clark officials were notified by Clark County Clerk Susan Popp and Clark County Auditor Monty Snelling that the district had officially claimed victory Monday.
“This is great news for our students and staff as we can now move forward to make these three buildings safer and provide a better a learning environment,” Superintendent Andrew Melin said in the release.
The money will go toward structural improvements at Northaven Elementary School, Charlestown Middle School and River Valley Middle School.
In November 2015, Greater Clark sought $109.2 million for building projects in a referendum, but the proposal failed. The district then began assessing its options to acquire the funds.
District officials ultimately landed on the $22 million figure, with projects at each of the three schools ranging between $2 million and $10 million.
Per Indiana law, if 500 or more citizens petition against proposals in that $2 million to $10 million range, the sides must engage in the petition and remonstrance process, which is essentially a battle to gain signatures. Since 520 residents voiced their opposition to the spending, Greater Clark was forced to take the petition and remonstrance route.
Each side began collecting signatures in February with a deadline of March 20 to submit petitions to the county clerk.
Though Greater Clark became aware that it had unofficially won the battle in April, it took over a month for the results to be verified.