As the school year comes to an end, five Elkhart schools are saying goodbye to their students for the last time.
The grounds of Osolo Elementary were filled with students, parents and community members Thursday evening. For many, this will be their last visit, before classes are relocated to Pinewood Elementary in the fall.
Among those at Thursday’s event was former student Cecilia Islas Varela. “I came to Osolo in third grade in 2011, when I moved here from Mexico, so it was my first school in the U.S.,” Islas Varela said.
First grade teacher Annette Hines said she was happy to see the students come back and visit. "This day means everything to me," Hines said. "I’ve been here almost 30 years. This fall would’ve been 30 years since I student taught at this building."
She has fond memories of field trips and playing sports with her students. "It’s not really about just school," Hines added. "It’s about family, and that’s what we’ve always been, and we’ll be Bobcats forever."
But now, Elkhart Community Schools is consolidating, as the school corporation looks to adjust to a decrease in students, which also means a decrease in state funding.
During this week’s school board meeting, Chief Financial Officer Ronda Ross said the district lost 450 students last year, and they’re preparing for the same decrease this year. "There’s about $6 million-plus right there, and to be frank, we still have to pay for raises," Ross told board members. "Those raises cost, and so do all of the incentives."
She said the line item used to pay teacher salaries is $6 million dollars over budget, even after the district borrowed money. "The consolidation, we all kind of knew it would help us, but it’s not enough," Ross said. "We have to keep right sizing because our [average daily membership] is shrinking."
Elkhart Community Schools is now launching a virtual school, to try to keep students enrolled in the district.
At Thursday's event, John Milliken said there was a feeling of nostalgia, even though he attended Osolo years before the current school was built. "It’s a shame," he said. "It’s a nice school here, and to see it closed up is pretty crazy – a crazy situation."
Superintendent Michele Riise, who took over in the middle of the consolidation effort, said the school district is still finalizing plans for the school buildings that will no longer have classes. She said she’s pleased with the community support, so far, but the current financial situation means she can’t rule out more consolidation in the future.
"We did see the amount that we have to lose and decrease our funding by, and there is no way, probably, around it," Riise said Thursday. "But again, no firm plans right at the moment, but that may be on the horizon."
For Islas Varela, the consolidation means her niece, who’s now attending kindergarten — and was excited about attending the same school her mom used to go to — will no longer be able to do that. “It’s a little bit sad, but I’m excited for their new beginnings, too,” Islas Varela said.
Elkhart Community Schools holds the broadcast license for WVPE.
