Area schools are still trying to decipher how much funding they may or may not get for the 2016 calendar year. The Culver Schools have had a decrease in the number of students enrolled and could experience a decrease of 9.2 percent of the amount they received from the state for 2015. Argos Schools are showing a small decline in enrollment and could have their budget cut by .1 percent in 2016.
Other Marshall County Schools are anticipating increases such as Plymouth (`1.7 percent), Bremen (2.8 percent), and Triton (1.3 percent). At the same time, urban schools are on track to get hefty increases such as Carmel Schools (6.9 percent), Westfield (8.0 percent) and Hamilton Southeastern (8.3 percent).
Indiana Governor Mike Pence issued a statement on April 9 concerning the Indiana State Senate biennial budget. Pence said, “This is an education session, and I appreciate the Indiana Senate’s commitment to funding our schools in a way that will ensure our students have every opportunity to succeed. I am especially grateful for their work to increase career and vocational funding in a way that will expand pathways for Hoosier students and foster the long-term economic health and growth of our state.”
The statement followed the Senate Appropriations Committee that met on Thursday and proposed that shifts to school funding should be phased in over five years. The measure could lessen cuts that many school districts face.
Funding for K-12 schools accounts for more than half of the total state’s budget.
Pence was also clear on his preference to the House of Representatives budget proposal. Pence said, “While I appreciate the Senate’s focus on school funding, I prefer the House budget’s approach to the public school funding formula where the dollars more closely follow the students in growing suburban areas. I also prefer my budget’s approach where more funding is provided to public charter schools serving students in our urban areas.” The Senate proposal does not include the some $40 million in new grants for charter schools. It was included in the House plan.
The House plan shifted millions of dollars to growing suburban districts as they pointed to the per-child funding gap between growing and shrinking school districts. However, that funding plan did include cuts to more than a third of Indiana’s nearly 400 school districts.
Plymouth Schools Superintendent Daniel Tyree said, “Senator Ryan Mishler is fighting to keep some of the new money in Northern Indiana. I appreciate the entire Senate Budget Committee for fighting for all Indiana Schools.”
