All of the talk about closing schools in Huntington has riled up parents in the community to stand up for their community and school.
On Monday night the Huntington County School Board met at Salamonie Middle School, to discuss possible options for alleviating the budgetary shortfalls for the next school year.
The gymnasium at Salamonie was completely packed while Huntington County Community School Corporation Superintendent Tracey Shafer outlined the options for the community.
“We have four options for changing the budget next year,” Shafer said. “we can reduce staff and programs, pass a general referendum, repurpose buildings or we can do nothing and have a state takeover.”
The corporation is in the middle of a $2.6 million budget shortfall that is causing a crisis in the community.
If the school is to cut staff and programs as its sole answer to the budget crisis they are looking at a steep number of jobs to be lost.
“We would cut 15 positions in middle schools, 10 in elementary schools and five in high school,” Shafer said. “If we do this it will take away from what we are trying to do educationally in the classroom.”
The second option that would include a referendum would increase property taxes for those in Huntington County.
“If a referendum was to be chosen, in order to make up $2.5 million we would need to set a tax structure,” Shafer said. “A $75,000 property would expect to pay $26.5 per year, a $100,000 property would expect to pay an additional $52.55 a year and a $200,000 property would expect to pay an additional $156.85 a year in taxes.”
The third option would be to repurpose some of the buildings that are under utilized and inefficient for the corporation financially.
“We could reorganize the middle schools and save approximately, $931,054.87,” Shafer said. “We could also close an elementary school and save $1,033,190.87 or we could close a middle school and repurpose an elementary school, this move could save us around $2,684,845.”
In addition to the repurposing of the elementary school there will be a potential revenue of $220,600 and a cost avoidance of nearly $500,000.
After Shafer was finished outlining the potential closings, especially the possible closing of Salamonie Middle School, School Board President Kevin Patrick opened the floor for comments but not before setting some ground rules.
“Last time I didn’t feel good about the meeting we had,” Patrick said. “This time if we could refrain from applause and try to be more concise with our words that would be helpful. If we put our heads together we will do what is best for our kids.”
Tracey Brown, father of three children at Salamonie voiced his concerns in front of the board Monday night.
“I challenge you not to get in a hurry to make a decision,” Brown said. “But I do want to know where are the details for these ideas, there is no magic bullet to fixing this budget. Closing this school would kill our town.”