Indiana's effort to achieve balance in public school funding has led to one widely accepted reality — finding fairness is not academic, especially when the roiling undercurrent of politics rules the process.
As lawmakers begin crafting the state's next two-year budget, traditional public schools contend they're being undermined more and more in favor of charters and an expanding voucher system.
Urban educators fret over disappearing funding, while educating children in poverty who have little of the cultural or nutritional advantages of their peers in the suburbs. Suburban educators contend the funding gap is still too wide, forcing them to struggle and cut programs and staff.
"I don't want to take money from Gary, but surely three smart people in the room ought to come up with something better than what we have," said Valparaiso Supt. Ric Frataccia.
The funding crisis has touched most of the state's schools, unless taxpayers have backed a referendum to raise taxes and shore up expenses.
The School Town of Munster and the Gary Community School Corp. are on opposite ends of nearly every demographic imaginable, but they each share budget shortfalls brought about by a complex array of factors from shrinking enrollment, deadbeat taxpayers, and a complicated funding formula lawmakers vow to change.
In recent weeks, the School Town of Munster coped with an unthinkable budget collapse because property tax dollars it counted on didn't materialize.
When it comes to school funding, Munster with its well-to-do population and dearth of poverty, ranks at the bottom of the state. It's 347th out of 356 schools this year with state funding of $5,013 per pupil. The state average is $5,770.
In contrast, the Gary Community School Corp. ranks No. 19 in state support with $7,194 per student. A number of factors contribute to Gary's woes. Its leaders were slow to downsize as charter schools eroded its enrollment base. Property tax caps prevented the district from raising new money as enrollment declined and tax collections ranked among the lowest in the state.
Gary will ask taxpayers to approve a $51.8 million referendum in May to shore up its general fund.
Indiana school funding's landmark change began in 2009 when the state changing the system after taxpayers complained of unexpected, wide swings in their bills.
Led by former Gov. Mitch Daniels, the state moved to finance schools' general funds with sales and income taxes. The general fund covers operational spending and salaries.
The radical change coincided with the recession and sales taxes sank. Daniels yanked $300 million from K-12 schools to prop up the sagging state budget coffers.
The move met with a chorus of complaints from school officials and rainy day funding quickly went dry for districts like Munster.
Meanwhile, another Daniels' campaign promise took root when property tax caps became enshrined in the state constitution in 2010. For districts like Gary, it stopped the ability to raises taxes, even though costs, such as transportation, may have risen.
The only alternative provided by the legislature is allowing schools to hold referendums, asking taxpayers for more money. "It seems the only option the legislature gave us is to go out and beg the community for taxes while they sit on a budget surplus of $2 billion," said Gary School Board member Nellie Moore.
The funding picture still looks grim for traditional public schools as the GOP-controlled Statehouse continues to bankroll support for charter schools and an expansive private voucher program Republicans believe lend accountability and parental choice to public education.
"I think they're focusing on the negative," said Frataccia. "To listen to our adversaries, you'd think charter schools walk on water. That's not accurate. Just because one in six charters out perform a public school, that doesn't sound to me like a ringing endorsement."
Last month, Gov. Mike Pence turned in a $31 billion budget that increased K-12 spending by 2 percent for 2016 and 1 percent for 2017, or an additional $201 million. Critics quickly chirped those increases didn't keep pace with inflation, leaving them with reduced funding.
Pence's budget also earmarked $50 million of the $201 million for charters and the voucher program.
In many cases, the funding quagmire pits Republicans against schools in GOP-friendly communities, not Democratic districts.
The Boone Township Schools in Hebron is receiving $5,320 per student from the state, near the bottom third.
Supt. Nathan Kleefisch met with his GOP lawmakers state Sen. Edward Charbonneau and Rep. Michael Aylesworth last week to plead his case.
"The governor's current proposal is devastating," he said. "We don't have enough money to give raises, it hurts morale. Teachers can't live on the wages so they look elsewhere or worse yet, leave for the business area where they can make more."
In Gary, the district can't access its federal funding to serve homeless children because it can't pay vendors. It can't pay for speech therapists to work with special education children.
"We're just bare bones," said Marianne Fidishin, director of special education and student services. "Everything is constantly in jeopardy of not existing the day after tomorrow."
Gary middle school students have been moved across town to a shuttered school while a new boiler is installed to the heating system.
Meanwhile, in Munster, 50 instructional aides, secretaries and custodians worked their final day Friday, victims of a budget shortfall when tax collections failed to reach the expected level.
In Porter Township, Supt. Stacey Schmidt said her teaching staff has gone for years without raises and they recently gave back 1 percent of their salary because of the shortage in state funding.
Lake Central Supt. Larry Veracco said the district trimmed $7.25 million from its budget over a three-year period. Teacher planning for struggling students was scrapped and 20 custodians were cut. Veracco said classrooms are cleaned every other day now, instead of every day. "It's trash and dash now," he said. Thirteen bus routes were eliminated and elementary students are no longer dropped off at their houses.
"Many want to keep expanding choice and believe it leads to better competition. If a parochial school is picky, why would the governor want to give them more money? We embrace that we want to help everybody," he said.