GCSC passes resolution opposing state bills

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Fearing further losses than public schools have already suffered in recent years, the Greencastle Community School Board recently expressed its opposition to a pair of bills currently in the Indiana General Assembly.

During its most recent meeting, the school board gave its unanimous approval to a resolution opposing the establishment of education scholarship accounts and the expansion of the Indiana School Choice Scholarship Program.

Early in the meeting, when the board asked for comments from the audience, Greencastle Classroom Teachers Association President Kristien Hamilton expressed her gratitude for the board considering the resolution.

“That is an awful bill that will potentially move $202 million of public education funding to private vouchers and unsupervised home schools,” Hamilton said.

The General Assembly is actually considering two bills regarding these matters — House Bill 1005, called the “Indiana education scholarship account program,” and Senate Bill 412, which would create an education savings account program title the “Indiana personalized education grant program.”

Superintendent Jeff Gibboney gave the board his brief summary of each bill, explaining that public school students make up 90 percent of the student population in the state and if school choice is expanded further, “it’s going to be extremely difficult to drive additional dollars to the classroom.”

“With school choice and vouchers, those schools aren’t held to the same standard of accountability,” Gibboney said. “It’s just not a good way to spend our taxpayer dollars.”

He offered a similar take on the establishment of education scholarship accounts.

“Again, it will take public tax dollars out of our schools and, again, many of these dollars will flow to private home schools,” Gibboney said. “And there is not much monitoring of how those dollars are spent.”

Gibboney also recently wrote an open letter to Indiana legislators, expressing his opposition to the bill, with the letter also signed by Hamilton and School Board President Mike White.

Currently, HB 1005 has passed the House of Representatives by a 61-38 margin, with nine Republicans joining all 29 Democrats in opposing the bill. State Rep. Beau Baird (R-Greencastle) voted in favor.

The Senate has yet to consider the bill.

SB 412 passed out of committee along a 9-4 party line vote, with the GOP voting in favor. It has not been voted upon by the full Senate. However, Sen. John Crane (R-Avon), who represents the northern portion of Putnam County, voted in favor in committee.

In another matter with statewide repercussions, the board also approved a resolution urging state leaders to add school teachers and staff members to the list of those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

While the state has not yet added teachers under 50 years old to the list, they could become eligible through a federal program being operated at Kroger, Meijer and Walmart stores.

In other business:

• Gibboney reported that the second student count day took place in February, with a total of 1,704 students enrolled at GCSC.

This number is down 13 from fall, which will lead to a funding adjustment later this year.

• The superintendent also made note of the retirement middle school/high school choir teacher and sixth-grade band teacher Kathryn Dory, as well as middle school cafeteria assistant Carol Morgan.

“I’d just like to thank them for serving the students of our school and being longtime members of our staff,” Gibboney said.

• The board approved the advertisement of hearings for upcoming building projects. The meetings are set for March 8 and 15.

The building projects will be drawn from a list provided by krM Architecture, which presented the findings of a facilities master plan in January.

• The board recognized students of the month from each building: GHS, Paige Kaiser; GMS, Kaylee Schwab; Tzouanakis, Lucas Fry; Ridpath, Raylynn Brewer; and Deer Meadow, Krae Ames.

Additionally, the January students of the month were never recognized in the Banner Graphic. They were: GHS, Braden Wilson; GMS, Mary Strother; Tzouanakis, Thalia Collins; Deer Meadow, Anna Kaste; and Ridpath, Addalyn Ross.

• Besides retirements, the board approved several other agenda items.

Resignations: Amy Martin as GMS cafeteria assistant and Wanda Hutcheson as Ridpath noon aide/instructional assistant.

Transfer: Dan Clodfelter from bus driver to buildings and grounds maintenance at the transportation center.

New hires: Morgan Adams as Tzouanakis cafeteria assistant and Grace Bills as 21st Century Community Learning Center instructional assistant at GMS.

Substitutes: Kaitlyn Price as long-term kindergarten substitute at Ridpath, Chris Weeks as long-term seventh-grade science substitute, Shauwana Higgins as substitute custodian and Rebecca Arnold as substitute teacher.

Extracurricular activities: Noah Wilson as GHS boys’ assistant track coach and Kaleb Camacho as GHS girls’ assistant track coach.

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  • Seems that Indiana State Teachers Association and their handmaiden the Indiana Public School Superintendents have come to the realization that parents (or students) won't sit still for having their classes online only for long periods of time.

    The result has been that they are leaving that scene behind and choosing to homeschool and Co-Op with others. Why wouldn't they? Anyone that is paying attention can see these school lockouts are a disaster for a lot of kids.

    -- Posted by direstraits on Fri, Mar 5, 2021, at 8:12 AM
  • *

    I have a few suggestions for all who oppose these bills:

    1)Lobby to end state funding of public schools.

    Make the schools funded by local tax money the way it was before.

    2)End public sector unions. (yes, that would be the school teachers union.)

    3)Reinstate tuition for those students who choose to go to a public school outside of their school district.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Fri, Mar 5, 2021, at 10:04 AM
  • DPR

    You just gave the liberal/ leftists/ union leaders/ some union members a severe case of angst. I can probably predict the response.

    -- Posted by beg on Fri, Mar 5, 2021, at 11:40 AM
  • Wait, you mean we're not supposed to just sit around and pay taxes for our kids to not go to school in person? We're not supposed to take our own money and ensure that they get an education when the public school system is canceling school for any and every reason?

    -- Posted by Youseriousclark? on Sun, Mar 7, 2021, at 4:58 PM
  • The local school boards do not belong in the pocket of these organizations either. They are to be responsible to the local patrons and their taxpayers. These organizations are lobbyist groups all about creating jobs (and dues) and government construction projects.

    Fifty percent of the Indiana State budget is funding K-12 schooling. Seventy-five percent of local property taxes goes to local schools for buildings and grounds.

    anyone getting a clue yet?

    -- Posted by direstraits on Sun, Mar 7, 2021, at 10:25 PM
  • Have you ever noticed where the ISTA building is in Downtown Indy?

    Right there next to the Indiana Statehouse. hmm...is there a tunnel connecting them?

    Did anyone anywhere in the school systems lose a paycheck from the taxpayers? Don't think so.

    Not that all employees didn't want to have classes but, who was thinking of those families with students in public schools? Not these professional groups and sadly now not even your local school board.

    This is just one more example of what bad government is mainly about...money... and who controls the the publicly funded programs like schools. These groups and elements of both political parties are at fault. Because they sell out to these lobby groups for their own interests, not the ones most affected.

    More and more parents are figuring this out. It is in their best interest to take back control of certain aspects of education. While it isn't in every families' ability to complete a k-12 education, they can substitute and add on elements as time and ability will allow.

    let them...better...encourage them

    -- Posted by direstraits on Mon, Mar 8, 2021, at 11:48 AM
  • As a taxpayer, I want the best education for the kids, not just ONE option, based on the district where they live! There could be a better school on the other side of the road.

    Sometimes you have to cut overhead to provide a better product! Sometimes one bigger school is better than two or three smaller ones! When I see the athletic dollars that are spent at some of these schools, it's mind boggling! This is not the NFL, it's K-12 we're talking! A large majority of students can't even make change for a dollar without use of a cell phone! That's not an education! We need to realign the priorities so that the tax dollars are better spent on EDUCATION!

    -- Posted by jake71 on Mon, Mar 8, 2021, at 2:18 PM
  • jake71 said, "As a taxpayer, I want the best education for the kids, not just ONE option."

    Precisely!

    “With school choice and vouchers, those schools aren’t held to the same standard of accountability,” Gibboney said. “It’s just not a good way to spend our taxpayer dollars.”

    Same old tired song: no creativity or imagination.

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Mon, Mar 8, 2021, at 3:03 PM
  • *

    Jake - in the state of Indiana you are free to enroll your child in any school that you would like. You have all the options in the world. So I'm not sure I understand your point. If you don't like a certain Putnam County school then drive your kids to Evansville or South Bend. All available to you as an option.

    -- Posted by RSOTS on Mon, Mar 8, 2021, at 3:28 PM
  • Before this thread passes off the homepage just one other point to consider.

    The Feds are coming strong for more control over local schools. In the new relief bill they are sending a lot of money to public schools to "upgrade" facilities and correct some other deficiencies as they see fit. You have probably heard reports that the Title Nine policy that protects women's sports is gutted. That is true. I think there will be strings and suggestions attached for other things, so be aware of what is coming next as policy and programming will be part of any new dollars given.

    Ask questions. Be involved. Don't sleep walk through your kids education assuming everything is alright.

    -- Posted by direstraits on Mon, Mar 8, 2021, at 4:59 PM
  • RSOTS--You assume alot! I am a taxpayer. I don't spend my hard earned money frivolously, I expect the government to do the same if they're going to take it before I see it!

    -- Posted by jake71 on Mon, Mar 8, 2021, at 6:45 PM
  • *

    Jake - I'm not assuming anything. You can send your child to whatever school you choose. Fact not assumption. I'm not arguing with you about taxes or how they're spent. You said you wanted more than one option. I'm pointing out that you have that.

    -- Posted by RSOTS on Mon, Mar 8, 2021, at 7:01 PM
  • Not sure that is entirely true. An out of district student must be accepted by the school district. I can't say for sure believe Greencastle has a cap on how many students they would take in any one year. The same for other schools. So, yes, technically options but accessing the options might be different. I could be wrong on this.

    I think the bigger issue is still funding methods/ concerns and the political aspects of taking care of a lobbying group and voting bloc that has, at times, competing interests with what may be best for the students at large (Please note "at times" before going off on a tangent).

    When looking at statistics, there is clearly one item that tops the lists for academic concerns yet we don't really address it. There are many reasons, some which are valid, but the current political demographic of education makes that almost impossible to do so.

    There isn't a simple "fix" and there will ALWAYS be issues and challenges. That is a fact. It is very complicated and 144 words or less aren't going to provide the solutions or even enhance the conversation. It will take heavy lifting, some unpopular decisions, and an endurance that most lack and political desires abhor.

    -- Posted by beg on Mon, Mar 8, 2021, at 7:36 PM
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