Greater Clark County Schools has been in deficit spending for the past several years, which has depleted the district’s cash balances and rainy day fund.
Due to the serious effect of prior decision making priorities and the uncertainty of adequate state funding resources for education, Greater Clark has been forced to comply to a cost reduction plan which requires healthy cash balances in the following funds: Education, Operations, and Rainy Day.
In this video, learn more about the proposal and how the proposed cost-cutting measures will set in motion the necessary pathway to correcting deficit spending while assisting to equalize educational opportunities throughout the district.
The administration presented the budget reduction plan to the school board during a work session on January 14, 2021. The meeting can be watched in its entirety in this video.
If you’d like to submit feedback on the budget reduction plan, simply click the link below.
Deficit spending simply means spending more than the amount of revenues received in the district, which is not allowable.
They are used for capital improvements, transportation services, school operations, and pension bond payments. State funds are also transferred to the Operations fund to support operational costs.
The Distressed Unit Appeals Board that monitors all school district financial information requires schools to maintain an 8% or more cash balance. Additionally, all school associations in Indiana strongly recommend the Education Fund, Operations Fund, and Rainy Day Fund maintain this same level of operating balance cash.
These projects are paid from different funds. These funds are created for the distinct purpose of capital improvements and cannot be used for other expenses.
Yes, each school will still maintain the current expectation of a minimum of 30 art, music and PE class sessions per school year. The classes will be taught by either a certified teacher or a classified specialist.
Four (Art, Music, PE, and Media/Tech) Related Arts Coordinator positions will be hired to plan, train, and ensure all ten elementary school students are provided with consistent programming and resources.
A portion of the savings will be reinvested into the related arts programming to provide more consistent opportunities for students.
The Bridgepoint Elementary School facility is in need of extensive and costly repairs and upgrades. The proposed plan would immediately place students in schools that have open classrooms available and are the newest, or most recently remodeled, elementary schools in the district.
The majority of students will be reassigned to our brand new Franklin Square Elementary School or our second newest building, Riverside Elementary School. There will be a smaller number of students assigned to Northaven Elementary School.
It should not make class sizes increase. Each school will continue to be staffed at the average of 26:1 student to teacher ratio.
No staff members will lose their job. Bridgepoint employees will be redistributed to other GCCS schools. They will all have a placement in the district.
Staff members will have the opportunity to keep their current position, however, they will become employees of the company we outsource.
GCCS will strive to ensure the company that we outsource to will honor or exceed our current pay rates.
As long as they are employed full time, they will still be offered health insurance.
We won’t be able to answer this definitely until we know who the bid will be awarded to, however, it is likely they will not participate in PERF.
Greater Clark is working through a plan for how to address this question.
Yes, the program will still exist, but will be relocated and will be housed within another GCCS building. This will provide for a smoother transition to regular programming when our students are ready.
No one will lose their job. Staff members will be redistributed to other GCCS schools and all will have a placement.
Parents will receive a letter via US mail in the near future. Case conferences will be scheduled to discuss individual student needs and programming.
Yes, transportation will be provided as outlined in student IEPs
Yes, we will be planning a visitation time for students and families sometime in late spring/summer.
No, the current “no transportation” zones will not be expanded.
No. Bus routes will change due to some start of school/end of school timing adjustments.
No. The routes affected were proposed last year and all bus contractors are aware. The change will affect approximately 30 students who will continue to be offered transportation from their current a.m. and p.m. stops.