TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO-WAWV) — Potential major decisions loom on the horizon for the Vigo County School Corporation, including potentially reducing the number of schools in the county.
On Monday evening, the board continued discussions of “what if” situations connected to the facilities study. The study looked at enrollment numbers, facility repairs, staffing shortages, and more.
Highlights include: K-12 enrollment is about 12,500 students, which is nearly 9,000 fewer students than were enrolled in the fall of 1971. Nine of the 24 schools have significant immediate maintenance and modernization needs. Also, after each school is modernized and overdue preventative maintenance needs are addressed, an average of about $20 million per year will be needed for preventive maintenance.
“I am hopeful that early in the summer, or at least before school starts, that we’ve got a plan. We’re going to be working on some facility forums. Obviously, once we come up with a plan, there’s some procedures in place to where we get additional feedback from the community before we finalize and tweak that,” said Superintendent Chris Himsel.
The board has discussed three ways to update and maintain schools. One option is to replace some school buildings. A second option is to renovate some schools. And a third option includes the possibility of consolidating schools
The school board hopes to select an option soon.
The following is a fact sheet provided by VCSC about the facilities study:
Summary of facts to consider as we develop a plan to address VCSC facility needs
● A recent demographic study forecasts the overall VCSC K-12 enrollment to about 12,500 students, which is nearly 9,000 fewer students than were enrolled in VCSC schools in the fall of 1971.
● The demographic study estimates the number of high school students in each grade level throughout the entire county in 2029, and each subsequent year, to be about the same as the number of students in each grade level at North High School during the 1971 – 1972 school year.
● Eleven of the 24 VCSC preK-12 schools were constructed more than 50 years ago. Only three of them were constructed within the last 25 years.
● Nine of the 24 VCSC preK-12 schools have significant immediate maintenance and modernization needs.
Twelve of them have moderate immediate maintenance and modernization needs.
(Maintenance and modernization needs refer to and include modernizing domestic plumbing, electrical, roofing, fire alarm, fire suppression, and HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems, creating secure entrances, repairing paved lots and
sidewalks, improving traffic flow to align with modern traffic patterns, modernizing science labs and equipment used in career technical education courses, modernizing classroom spaces to accommodate current best instructional practices, replacing obsolete windows and doors, converting lighting systems to LED lighting, etc.)
● Because of a lack of investment in addressing preventative maintenance and modernization needs over many years, the opportunities available to our students are behind the opportunities available to students enrolled in other school districts who have access to modern learning spaces, science labs, etc.
● The lack of modernized facilities prevented North and South high schools from being considered by at least one athletic conference seeking new conference affiliates.
● Based on the current number of VCSC schools, after each school is modernized and overdue preventative maintenance needs are addressed, an average of about $20 million per year will be needed for preventive maintenance, and the effects of inflation are increasing the annual investments that will be needed.
● After applying circuit breaker losses resulting from property tax caps, only $9 million is currently available each year in the Operations Fund to address preventative maintenance and modernization needs.
● After many years of inadequate investments to address preventative maintenance and modernization needs, the district began using General Obligation Bonds to make up for annual circuit breaker losses and to supplement the monies available to address preventative maintenance and modernization needs.
Statutory limits on the allowable funding amounts of General Obligation Bonds prevent this option from adequately addressing the needs that have accumulated over many years.
● During the recent session of the General Assembly, SEA 1 further restricts the use of General Obligation Bonds, and it is projected to reduce the monies available annually in the Operations Fund to address preventative maintenance and modernization needs by $3 million, or more, by 2030.
● Because of shortages in the number of teacher and administrator candidates, staffing efficiencies are needed to continue supporting current average class sizes
