TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – The Vigo County School Corporation wanted the Vigo County Council to establish a special board that would help oversee funding and improvements of Vigo County schools.
VCSC also hoped the Vigo County Council would consider helping to pay for upgrades at local schools after the passing of Senate Bill 382 by Indiana lawmakers. It allows the County Council to use some of its taxpayer money to pay for school projects, without asking for voters approval through a referendum.
Instead, at Tuesday night’s meeting, an ordinance proposed by Councilman Steve Ellis passed in a vote of 4 to 3. Not only does the new ordinance keep the council from creating an oversight board without a voter referendum, but it also says the county will not give any money to the school corporation without voters approval through a referendum.
The creation of the oversight board was expected to cost the county around $100,000.
A previous voter referendum that would have provided additional money for Vigo County schools failed in 2022.
After the Vigo County Council meeting, Councilman Steve Ellis said this about the decision, “It’s just simply what needed to be done for the best interest of the county government and the fiscal body. We simply do not have the funds to do it and as a result, it’s what needed to be passed tonight who knows what that means in the future it’s just saying right now the county is having a hard time paying, and meeting its bills.”
Vigo County Commissioner Chris Switzer also attended the meeting. He said, “As far as I know, this prevented any funding whatsoever to the Vigo County School Corporation, so I still have to go review that, but I’m a little sad. The only thing you know I have two kids they’re gonna go to the schools. The only thing that we wanna do is just have a conversation. If there’s a potential to even give $1000 a School corporation to help with a reference we want to be able to do that.”
Meanwhile, the Vigo County School Corporation responded to the council with the following statements.
Statement from Dr. Chris Himsel:
“For 50 years, our community has known there are issues that need to be addressed in regard to our school facilities. For nearly two years, the Vigo County School Corporation and Board of School Trustees have taken steps to create a path towards correcting these issues, modernizing our facilities and ultimately providing high quality opportunities for our students. We are grateful for Senator Greg Goode, Representatives Bob Heaton and Tonya Pfaff, and many others who created a mechanism for a community conversation and additional transparency. Although we are disappointed that the County Council chose not to collaborate with us, we remain committed to modernizing our facilities and providing high quality education for our students while taking steps to live within our means and address the realities of our enrollment.”
Statement from the Vigo County School Board of Trustees:
“This evening’s Vigo County Council meeting lacked transparency. As a School Board of Trustees, we are required by law to allow for public comment before we vote. Tonight we witnessed a disappointing display by the Vigo County Council. They chose not to take public comment on a sweeping ordinance, preventing a 2-year-long vetted bipartisan collaboration. They did so without all the facts, information or input from the community. With this uneducated and irresponsible decision they have chosen to repeat history of previous elected officials who chose to operate in backdoor meetings and closed door discussions. The Council has asked for transparency from the School Board of Trustees in which we have delivered in community forums, public meetings, facility studies, school visits and documents readily available on our website.
Despite this setback we are still focused and committed to modernizing our facilities and providing high quality education for our students while taking steps to live within our means and address the realities of our enrollment.”
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Earlier in the day, the Chairman of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce Board, Donald Scott, said the Chamber Board supported upgrades to Vigo County schools and the establishment of oversight board by the Vigo County Council.
“There’s a serious issue with the current state of our facilities in our school system”, Donald Scott said. “If we can’t solve that, it impacts almost everyone in our community, including our businesses, our children.”
Scott added that improving Vigo County schools would ultimately help residents by bringing more talent and perhaps more jobs to the area.
“Our universities, our hospitals, and some of our large manufacturers will all tell you that when it comes to bringing in professional talent and their families, or wives, take a look at our school facilities, they decide to go elsewhere”, Scott said. “It’s very difficult to bring in that professional talent given the state of our schools.”
