Tri-Township School Superintendent Kelly Shepherd is making his case for the closure of the 105-year-old LaCrosse School building.
A press release was issued on behalf of the school corporation Friday, a day after the school board voted to proceed with the bond process for a high school addition at Wanatah. The statement denies the idea that the “recommendation was arrived at through secrecy.” Shepherd notes that public meetings and open houses were held, and information was shared on the school corporation’s website. The press release also says the school board agreed to wait for an assessment of the historic school commissioned by Indiana Landmarks before making a decision.
Shepherd argues that the “single campus solution” moves the high school closer to the enrollment base, reduces redundancies, and allows for more programming. He also said that now was a good time to make the decision, due to favorable construction costs and interest rates. He adds that operating multiple schools isn’t sustainable.
The full text of the school corporation’s press release can be found below:
A Compelling Case for Unification: Superintendent’s Strategy to Preserve School Corporation
November 20, 2020
On February 20, 2020, Superintendent Kelly Shepherd announced his recommendation for consolidating Tri-Township schools into a single campus. Since then, there has been much speculation that this recommendation was arrived at through secrecy or hidden agendas, which belies the transparency of information, public meetings, and Kelly’s consistent availability for dialogue. According to Kelly, “the rationale and the purpose behind the single campus solution is to give our community the best chance for not only longevity but quality of education.”
This solution is not a new solution, but a resurfacing of one proposed by past community leadership at various times. With each passing year, our issues escalate, and the need for a decision grows more critical. This recommendation follows on the heels of a year of intense financial, facility, programming, and enrollment trends scrutiny conducted by Kelly within his first at the Corporation. The problems within these four identified areas create the cornerstone that leads to the only current answer, a single campus option. Wanatah’s campus presents the ideal location because of its proximity to the enrollment base, the potential for enrollment growth, the reduction of redundancies, and the ability to provide better service in the form of more programming.
Following Kelly’s initial presentation during the Public Board Meeting were two open houses on the evenings of February 27 & March 4, 2020. The agendas included an outline for a possible high school addition at Wanatah, project tax implications for residents, and tours of the current building. The public also requested comparative literature regarding a renovation of the existing LaCrosse High School, subsequently pulled from a prior facility study and shared on the Tri-Township Schools website. Additionally, an alumni group raised funds to request an assessment of the high school from Indiana Landmarks. Ratio architecture was commissioned for the physical study and Tonn & Blank for the study’s cost analysis. The Board chose to wait for these studies, and when COVID-19 emerged on the radar screen, plans were appropriately paused again. In instances that new documentation became available, files were uploaded to the same landing page for public consumption, and school messengers reached out to every parent and student in the area to notify them of the newly available materials. After considering all the data and analyzing alternatives, the findings reveal a single campus solution from a budget, facility, enrollment, and programming perspective is our best option.
We have a small window of time to leverage favorable conditions related to construction costs and interest rates. As Kelly puts it, “continuing on with what we’re currently doing (operating multiple schools) as to me has a very short shelf life, and the option I’m presenting is the best for assuring that Tri-Township Schools does not become a footnote in history.” A recent Boyd study revealed Tri-Township to be the only school in the area with a net-loss enrollment to out-migration with one of the largest percentages of out-migration in the state and on-par with large urban districts. Using Boyd study numbers, Tri-Township had 524 students living in district, however, only 390 of these were enrollees. This loss results in a budget deficit to the tune of $900,000.
The decisions we make today will directly impact the survival of our School Corporation and our community. Both are interdependent, and through enhancing opportunities for students, we aim to preserve our area’s rich historical identity and enduring values for generations to come. This goal is only achievable if our townships and towns can unite and prove to be the exception rather than the rule in eradicating the divide that is too often the outcome of consolidation.
For more information, visit http://tritownship.k12.in.us/district/high_school_strategic_plan
