More cost-cutting measures are coming to Elkhart Community Schools.
The school board voted Tuesday to freeze pay rates for many support staff members. Attorney Monica Conrad said the resolution adjusts handbooks for multiple employee groups.
"What it does across all of these handbooks is to suspend the career increment pay," Conrad explained. "It also freezes the current rates of pay, pending further board review."
The resolution says the move follows similar changes to teacher contracts, to try to avoid increasing the school corporation’s anticipated deficit.
The school board also made official the closure of four school buildings — Bristol Elementary, Monger Elementary, Hawthorne Early Learning Center and Osolo Elementary School. — as part of the district’s consolidation plan. That gives charter schools a chance to lease or purchase them for a dollar, as required by Indiana law.
Board member Douglas Weaver noted that the district would still be responsible for the debt on the Osolo Elementary building. "On your ledger, you have a $8 million asset with a $10 million mortgage on it, and so, O.K., well, we’re just going to give away the $8 million, but, guess what, you’ve still got to hold onto the $10 million mortgage," Weaver said. "That doesn’t seem quite right to me."
One change is that Monger Elementary, which was originally going to stay open, will permanently close. Superintendent Michele Riise said recent water damage posed a safety concern.
“The damage was very extensive and it’s one that caused us to know that we’re going to have to put a lot of money back into the building, to get it up to repair,” Riise explained.
She said insurance would not have covered the entire cost. Monger’s operations will essentially move to the Mary Beck Elementary building, allowing it to stay open.
Still, some teachers wanted more clarity about the district’s cost-cutting plan. Kris Thomas-Bartley asked how many positions have been eliminated and how much the school corporation expects to save.
“I think it’s important that the people that are still here and fighting for our kids and our community and our school know who’s going to be left here with us,” Thomas-Bartley told board members.
The financial report presented to the school board says Elkhart Community Schools reduced payroll expenses by $4.9 million this past school year, compared to the previous one.
Elkhart Community Schools holds the broadcast license for WVPE.
