ELWOOD — Facing a $2.5 million deficit, a proposed increase to Elwood residents’ property tax could mean an extra $1 million a year for Elwood Community Schools, Superintendent Glen Nelson said.
“It is critical for us,” he said of passage of a referendum on the Nov. 2 ballot. “We’ve followed all of the guidelines the state has set up for us — reduced staff, cut overtime, closed an elementary school, not given teachers raises and reduced custodians, clerical staff and media center personnel. We’ve cut back lighting in the hallways, instituted an athletic transportation fee. We’ve trimmed everything we possibly can. We have even removed art, physical education and music from the K to 3 curriculum at the elementary school. That was really hard to do, but we are doing everything we can.”
The referendum is asking voters to approve an increase of 50 cents for every $100 of assessed value to a resident’s property.
Nelson said it is important of the community to realize that this funding isn’t above and beyond what the school needs; instead it is necessary to keep the school running.
“We’ve already cut 26 teachers from our staff,” he said. “That’s a substantial cut for a small corporation like us. If we can convince our community members that this referendum is necessary, then we can bring back the music, PE and art. We can lower the class sizes by bringing back a few teachers. We can reduce further staff cuts. Hopefully we can maintain that and expand a little bit on current program offerings.”
If it doesn’t pass, Nelson said he fears even larger class sizes, more layoffs and reductions to things like athletics, chorus, band and other clubs.
Sonya May, parent of a student at Elwood Elementary, said she feels the referendum is important to the community.
“I think this is something we as a community can do to contribute,” she said. “It is a small contribution to help our school system.”
Nelson said school representatives were trying to educate the community about what passing the referendum would mean to the school. They were passing out educational fliers, making phone calls about the referendum and raising awareness with T-shirts, yard signs, banners and bookmarks.
“We realize the need because we are living it,” he said. “We have to convey that serious need to the citizens.”
The average homeowner in Elwood would notice an increase of about $6 a month in his property tax, Nelson said.
“With a successful school you see a much more vibrant community; property values go up,” he said. “It will pay dividends to people even if they don’t have a child in the school. I would gladly play $6, $12, $15, whatever it takes to make sure the children in my community get a good education.”
Frankton-Lapel Community Schools Superintendent Bobby Fields said corporations’ general funds are driven by the number of students. His school system has seen an influx of new students, as opposed to other systems across the state, and isn’t in a position to need to ask for additional funding via a referendum.
“With the funding situation we have throughout the state, some schools are in better shape than others just because of the number of students,” he said. “If student population is on the rise, there is not a need for a general fund referendum. Maybe they would need one for other funds, but not in the general fund. But if the school’s enrollment is declining then there would possibly be a need for a referendum.”
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