MISHAWAKA — After overwhelmingly voting down a $28 million referendum in 2013 that would have paid for facilities, technology and safety upgrades, the School City of Mishawaka community may be ready to give the schools a second chance, interim Superintendent Dean Speicher says.
And one vocal critic of the referendum two years ago, doesn’t disagree.
Anne Wiesjahn said she joined the citizens group that formed last year to serve as a bridge between the schools and the community — Community Collaborating Committee Mishawaka — to see and hear for herself what changes would come under Speicher’s leadership and how the community would respond.
“I thought, ‘I’ll come and listen,’ “ Wiesjahn said, “ ‘but it will take a lot of demonstrated action for me to feel differently.’ “
And, she said, “I’m getting it. I’m truly getting it.”
There’s a renewed focus, she said, on improving academics in Mishawaka schools. And, she said, “there are tremendous amounts of community outreach, the board has improved transparency and … there’s a lot of positive momentum.”
Wiesjahn said, makes her feel much more likely to vote “yes” if there’s another referendum.
So far, research — telephone interviews of 300 likely voters — shows most would also likely support a referendum to fund new technology, put new educational programs in place and support salary and benefits increases for districtemployees, the interim superintendent said.