New Albany-Floyd County school head wants to close four elementary schools

CHRIS MORRIS, New Albany Tribune

FLOYD COUNTY — Bruce Hibbard admits his first big decision as superintendent of the New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp. won’t win him any popularity contests. However, he said it will save jobs and improve the overall education of the 11,000 students in the corporation.

Hibbard, along with his administrative team, released a plan Thursday that calls for numerous cost-cutting measures including the closure of four elementary schools and placing fifth-graders into the corporation’s three middle schools.

“I am going to ask the board to do three things that get superintendents fired. But this isn’t about Bruce Hibbard, it’s about this school system and how we can improve the academic achievement,” Hibbard said. “In three years, if we are not doing a better job, I will take the blame.

“This will be painful, and people will be displeased. There will be a lot of emotion, anger and sadness.”

There were 57 line items cut or eliminated from the budget in the proposal which will be officially presented to the school board and public at 7 p.m. Monday in the New Albany High School Auditorium. Of the 57, 17 items have already been put in place and do not need the board’s approval. However, the 40 new items will need to be passed by board.

Two of the main items include the closing of four elementary schools and moving fifth-graders to the three middle schools. Schools slated to be closed include the Children’s Academy of New Albany, Silver Street, Pine View and Galena elementaries.

The reason for the 57 cuts and the closing of four elementaries was dictated by a pair of state budget cuts. The first came last fall when the corporation was forced to trim $3.2 million in two years from the budget due to not receiving any new state funds. However, the big blow came in December when Gov. Mitch Daniels cut $300 million from public education. The two reductions total $6.6 million from the NA-FC budget. The cuts, according to Hibbard and Assistant Superintendent Brad Snyder, have been mandated by the state. School officials have spent the past two months looking for ways to cut that amount out of the budget, without laying off a large number of teachers. Hibbard said luckily, having enough room in the three middle schools kept the corporation from having to do just that.

Not only are the cuts necessary, but the corporation will also be using $4 million in reserves and the $2 million in rainy day funds, to help offset state cuts.

Hibbard said there were three options to choose from: Option one would have included 62 teachers, five administrators and 45 classified employees being laid off; option two would have been to go to the public with a referendum to raise property taxes — which would have been on average of $225 a year on a $100,000 house; option three is the one Hibbard and his team selected — cutting 57 items including the closing of four buildings.

“We picked people over bricks and mortar,” Hibbard said.

Other significant cuts included in the 40 new recommendations include:

• Freezing all raises for employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, saving $170,000.

• Eliminating fourth-grade athletics, saving $100,000.

• Changing the health insurance plan, saving $230,000.

• Close three school pools — Floyd Central, Scribner and Hazelwood, saving $180,000.

• Suspending summer school — online courses will be available to students needing to make up credits to graduate, saving $70,000.

• Eliminating some positions including the directors of diversity and safety/public information, effective June 30.

• Restructure Opportunities for Success programs, saving $500,000.

• Offer a teacher retirement incentive of $6,700 to those who have 20 years experience and are eligible for retirement.

• Eliminate fifth-grade camp.

There are 78 positions affected by the cuts, but some of those employees will be retained due to retirement and attrition. So far, there are 23 spots open.

Hibbard said moving the fifth graders to the middle school is not something new or being done without thought. He said the 5-8 model is being done in 31 corporations across the state. The move will impact about 850 students.

Hibbard said with new and remodeled middle schools, there is plenty of room to incorporate the fifth graders. He said Highland Hills has 15 empty classrooms, and Scribner and Hazelwood have 10 each. The move, he said, will be a positive one on the academic side.

Fifth graders will receive an extra hour a day in instructional time at the middle school level. He said they will also be grouped together, have a standardized curriculum, and be taught by three teachers a day. Groups of 50 students will each have the same two teachers for core subjects.

“This is about using our facilities more efficiently,” Hibbard said. “Luckily we have room in our middle schools. If we didn’t, more people would have to be laid off.”

Another positive, he said, is that 13 split-level elementary classes will be eliminated and that the average class sizes will be reduced.

Some of the remaining elementary schools will see a significant increase in enrollment. S. Ellen Jones will go from 202 to 303 students, and Mount Tabor’s enrollment will grow by about 40 students. However, the three county elementaries will see a drop in enrollment. Class sizes at the elementary level would be as high as 27 students, to as low as 19, under the plan, if enrollment projections are maintained. Hibbard said the corporation will still have plenty of room and will not be overcrowded. He pointed to Hamilton Southeastern Corp. which has 17,000 students — 6,000 more than NA-FC — and only 12 elementary schools.

Two of the buildings — Silver Street and Pine View — would be sold under the recommendations. The corporation would keep Galena and schools officials hope to join in a partnership with another organization to turn the Children’s Academy into an early learning center.

School district maps will be re-drawn and on display at Monday’s meeting. Bus routes and where displaced teachers will wind up have not been addressed. The four principals at Galena, Silver Street, CANA and Pine View — will also be reassigned.

Hibbard said the more spacious, and newer buildings in the corporation are being kept. The criteria included which ones have capacity, the condition of the buildings and which ones have room for expansion.

Snyder said some school districts in the state are being forced to cut as many as 50 teaching positions. He said that has been avoided in NA-FC.

“I think our plan is better than that,” he said.

Hibbard has already met with the staffs at the four schools slated to be closed. He said he has also discussed the plan with State Sen. Connie Sipes, State Rep. Ed Clere along with New Albany Mayor Doug England. He plans on meeting with PTO groups today.

Hibbard, his staff and the board will take public input Monday following the presentation. On Thursday, the board will vote on the 40 recommendations. He said he hopes they take one vote for all 40 instead of voting on the cuts individually.

“If they do that, it just means more positions will have to be cut,” he said.

Hibbard said he understands the anger and frustration. He said he also has the same feelings. He said making these cuts, and closing four schools, is not being done by choice. He said the state is forcing the hand of corporations across the state.

“Public education has gotten beat up quite a bit lately by the governor, state superintendent and media. We’ve been told we have too many administrators, we’re not being efficient and people are overpaid. School districts are normally slow to change because people like them as they are. People is this county like their school district and don’t want it to change. Unfortunately, we don’t have a choice.”

Snyder said the cuts affect the entire community.

“We didn’t ask for this, we are just the messenger,” he said. “It’s a tough message to understand.”