With the budget projecting a loss of nearly $17 million next year, South Bend school leaders say drastic adjustments will have to be made across the district, including closing schools and asking city residents to approve additional tax support.
“I’m pretty sure you will have to look at closing a high school,” Budget Director Jenise Palmer told the school board during its Oct. 14 meeting.
School Board President John Anella later said “buildings have to be closed,” as the the district’s K-12 school buildings “were built for 23,000 to 24,000 students” and now only 16,000 are enrolled.
“That’s a huge physical presence,” Anella said, “that is not being fully utilized.”
Officials have used the term “rightsizing” and continue to say “nothing is off the table” when it comes to funding issues that stem from declining enrollment and property tax caps.
But no one is giving much detail or talking about which school buildings may close in the future.
School board member Oletha Jones said the conversation on school closures needs to be a top priority. The potential closing of a high school, she said, “should be the kind of topic and question we start posing to community members now.”
“These decisions should rest in the hands of our community members. These are their schools,” Jones said. “Cuts should be made based on their direct input and reactions, as well as the current data that shows exactly what we are dealing with today.”
That transparency, Jones said, could help drive support as the district prepares to ask taxpayers for money for the school system via a referendum next spring.
Closing schools
South Bend schools’ fall enrollment is at 15,900, down nearly 700 students from last year, resulting in a $4.7 million loss of state tuition support.
Demographers predict that by the end of next school year, 500 more students will leave, resulting in an additional $3.5 million loss to the district’s education fund, designated for salaries and benefits, technology for students and educational support.
Revenue also looks bleak in the district’s operations fund, designated for building maintenance and improvements and transportation. Most of its funding comes from St. Joseph County property taxes.
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