South Putnam sets meeting on possible Reelsville closing

The board and Bernhardt have already started preparing rooms in the high school for sixth grade occupation. The decision has almost assuredly already been made, despite the superintendent's sidestepping in this article.

What a tough decision! Parents, get out and voice your opinions. School Board, think carefully before acting (Good Luck. Tough one here.) Supt. Bernhardt, Best of luck to you dealing with the decision.

Everyone at South Putnam, hang in there and support each other even if you disagree with the decision.

The school board should think about the over all effect of the TAX BASE of a community WITHOUT an elementary school! Before closing Belle Union,,there was a store,restaurant,as well as other small family owned shops! These all held a respectable tax base.The property values were some of the highest in the county.Belle Union also hosted the largest fish fry in the midwest,most often with big name stars as entertainment.This all is a result of "COMMUNITY PRIDE",which does NOT EXIST without a school in the area.Now,I don't believe there is a pop machine in town! The living proof of this is in Fillmore! We fought hard to keep Fillmore Elememtary,and as a result,we have factories,two stores,restaurant,town hall,and a very active police dept.,as well as a HIGHLY RATED SCHOOL.Our property values have taken a hit,but much to our surprise are recovering much fast than other nearby areas!Hence,,,A STABIL TAX BASE! Stick to your guns Reelsville!! Your finished without your school! GOOD LUCK!

I think it would be a shame to close an historic school. The Reelesville School has been there much, much longer than the South Putnam junior and senior high schools. When Putnamville School was open, there were at least two grocery stores close by and other businesses along STate Road 40. Then Putnamville School was closed and the students were either transferred to other school corporations or to South Putnam, and Putnamville became pretty much a non-town.I hope the Board can keep this historic school of Reelsville, open.

Right On "Responsible Eagle" finally someone with common sense and logic!

You hit the "nail on the head" dead center word for word.

Fillmore is an incorporated town, Belle Union is not. Fillmore has traffic from Heritage Lake that keeps businesses open.

I would much rather see a school closed than to give up quality teachers, courses, and programs.

You can only spread things so thin before the quality starts to decline. SP is already there with the lowest paid teachers.

A building is a building it does not make a Community. The people make the Community. You have to step up and be willing to plan and host events. Belle Union could still have a Fish Fry at the Ball diamonds, but no one has stepped up to plan have they.

A building is a shell, its what inside that makes the difference and our students and teachers make the difference it doesn't matter what building they are in as long as they are together.

Stop focusing on the building and start thinking about how to make your childs education better.

@Responsible Eagle ... in what sense and by what standard do you consider having sixth-graders in middle school a "successful academic model." Just because a large segment of the population follows a particular pattern, that does not automatically mean that it is right or will be successful in all circumstances.

There is also a sizable difference between a "middle" school and a "junior/senior high school," the latter of which describes South Putnam. Paint it however you like and swallow whatever kool-aid brings the pretty colors to your dreams, but 10- and 11-year-olds do not belong in the same hallways and bathrooms with adult students.

Have you been in the HS? Do you know their exact plans? Do you really think that little of all of our High School and Junior High students and staff? If our HS/JR High kids are so awful they should probably stop being TA's at the Elementary Schools.

How do you know what the plans are. Did you ever think that they might plan to have the 6th grade take different breaks than the rest of the HS population? Did you stop to consider they would probably have a different lunch hour.

You must have watched too many movies about kids getting swirlies or maybe you got them in school.

Do you know anything about the discipline at the HS?

Did you poll all the 6th grade parents and students to find out what they want to do? Some parents don't want their 6th graders treated like first graders.

I am not sure you have all the answers and I am pretty sure Bernhardt said there were lots of things to be discussed.

My family is all originally from the Reelsville area, some still live there. It would be a crying shame to close the Reelsville elementary, 2 of my grandchildren went to school there and I personally know of the great teachers & education that they received from Reelsville, as well as many of my family members that were graduates of Reelsville High School.

When looking at what it will do to the community, as was mentioned about Belle Union, take a look at the northern most part of our county...Russellville. North Putnam closed Russellville elementary, now what has happened with that small town.

Another thing to look at is the cost in fuel alone that will be added to the expense of transporting children from the Reelsville area to South Putnam, that's not even mentioning the wear & tear on the busses & associated expenses for the busses.

My question is this...what about Fillmore, why not close it instead of Reelsville? Fair enough question isn't it? Explain why Reelsville was picked and how? Flip of the coin?

Reelsville buses already go to SP everyday. Reelsville is the choice because they don't owe money on it like they do Fillmore.

What everyone seems to be forgetting about the upgrading of Fillmore School, is the fact that some of the school board members at the time could not stand the thought of keeping Fillmore,without making it seem VERY exspensive! A LARGE portion,(Approx. $4,000,000.00) was spent on South Putnam HS.!!! This was done with TOTAL DISREGUARD to the REDUCTION in student population! Now the "ANTI FILLMORE" groupies want to put all the blame on Fillmore! If you don't think community involvement is important in education,,you are GRAVELY MISTAKEN! Without a LOCAL SCHOOL your community involvement,and PRIDE will evaporate!!

Get a reality check people. Close a school now and cut $500,000 out of your budget, keep it open take your cash balance down and have the state take over and they will most likely close 2 schools.

Its not about Fillmore or Reelsville its about South Putnam. The past is the past and you can't go back. The previous boards made the mistake and now its time to fix it. Maybe, some of you can write a check for $700,000.00 this year and in the years to come so we can keep 3 elementary schools open.