Zionsville Community Schools teacher group endorses funding change

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Zionsville school leaders started the Fix-It Coalition last spring to aid lowest-funded Indiana public schools by promoting legislative change to the state’s school funding formula. On Dec. 8, the Zionsville Educators’ Association joined the Zionsville Community Schools Board, the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce, and the Zionsville Town Council in announcing its own resolution supporting change.

ZEA wrote, in part: “We understand that schools in high poverty areas require differentiated funding to serve the needs of their students. While we acknowledge the needs of high poverty schools, the current formula has put Zionsville Community Schools in an untenable position of financial instability.”

Zionsville receives $832 less per student than the state average funding from the legislated formula.

Leaders of the Fix-It Coalition have proposed legislative solutions that do not negatively impact schools of poverty. They seek to fix their bottom-funded status because many have faced staffing losses that led to class size increases and program cuts.

“We have made serious cuts and sustained them to live within these means, but our students continue to miss out on important offerings found in many Indiana schools like Project Lead the Way (pre-engineering), International Baccalaureate Program, and elementary physical education.” said Dr. Scott Robison, Superintendent of Schools.

Fix-It Coalition leaders plan to continue educating stakeholders and legislators about the consequences of their lowest funded status among Indiana’s public schools.

Also during the Superintendent’s Report, the Steel Eagles elementary and middle school robotics teams simulated their competition equipment and programming. Board President Jim Longest offered thanks to outgoing trustee, Bill Stanczykiewicz, who will finish his term at the end of 2014. Action items included the approval of a policy name change, annual course offering review items, purchase of cabinets for the ongoing high school renovation, a new maintenance agreement for air conditioning equipment, purchase of two maintenance vehicles, and the reappointment of Monte Korte to the local library board.

The Board of Trustees first 2015 meeting is Monday, January 12, 2015, at 6 p.m.  in the Educational Services Center.

To read Current’s recap of the Dec. 8 board meeting, ready Current in Zionsville on Dec. 16. 


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