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REYNOLDS — Three years after their first joint meeting, members of the four White County school
corporation boards believe they are still on a path toward collaboration.
Joining together Monday evening at the White County 4-H Extension Building in Reynolds, members of
the four boards gathered together to discuss how far they’ve come in the past three years — and begin
taking at look at what the future will bring.
“You’re doing things together, you’re sharing ideas,” said Purdue University professor Dr. Dennis Cahill,
moderator for the evening. “This is a unique situation in the state of Indiana, what you’re doing here, and
you should all be very proud of yourselves.”
In the fall of 2007, all four White County schools formed a White County Steering Committee and teamed
up with the Wabash Valley Education Center, who helped apply for a Department of Education grant for
$25,000. When the grant was approved, the funds were used to conduct a study by Purdue’s Educational
Leadership initiative for small and rural schools.
Since August 2008, the White County consolidation/collaboration committee met monthly with the four
local superintendents and school board representatives.
“It’s too bad that the financial side of this is what brought us together, but I’m glad we’re here,” said
Frontier School Board President Barry Wesner. “Nobody likes change, but we’re at a time right now
where we need to tear down those sports rivalries and come together.”
Since its inception, the group has completed several of the goals that were determined in 2008, including a
common calendar for all the corporations, identifying school courses that could be offered through
collaboration, and the sharing of teachers.
More recently, the schools secured funding from a Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Grant, with help from
matching funds from the county, to purchase teleconferencing equipment to help use technology to share
services.
Despite the positive steps taken, however, North White School Board President Shannon Mattix asserted
that more changes need to be made to best serve White County students — changes, he said, that need to
start at the top.
“We can continue to kick the can down the road about what’s best for our stakeholders, but we need to
face the facts. Consolidation administratively is what’s best,” said Mattix, asserting that the consolidation
he believes is necessary is not of the bricks and mortar variety.
“We’re not talking about the consolidation of the 1960s. We’re not wanting to kill the mascots. What I’m
talking about is administratively operating under one umbrella … Superintendents: yes I’m talking about
you.”
According to Tri-County Superintendent Dr. Gib Crimmins, discussion of consolidating administrative
services by all four school corporations would by an empty proposition without then also looking at
consolidating school boards.
“You need to talk about one school board. You can beat around this idea all you want, but if you truly
believe in consolidation you’ll have to talk about one board,” said Crimmins. “Otherwise it’s a political
game, in my opinion.”
A worry for some of the board members was not simply the talk of consolidation, but the use of the “c-
word” itself. With lingering memories from the sweeping school consolidations lingering in the
consciousness of many White County residents, Twin Lakes School Board President Larry Crabb asserted
that projecting the right message to the public is imperative to the group’s success.
“We certainly don’t want to move backwards from where we started here, but I hate the word
consolidation. I don’t like that word. John Q. Public, when they hear that word, they think we are going to
shut down buildings,” said Crabb, who noted that focus must be placed on ways to save money while still
allowing schools to own their identities. “We’re going to have to sell this, and we’re going to have to keep
things positive.”
With Indiana State Representatives Don Lehe (R-Brookston) and Sheila Klinker (D-Lafayette) in
attendance, the board members spoke of their thoughts and concerns with actions taken by the state
legislature. According to Crimmins, changes in how schools are funding by the state has hit his
corporation as hard as any in the county.
“Being small is not a bad thing. I think it is kind of ironic that these charter schools receiving funding are
small. If we want rural Indiana to survive someone’s going to pay for it,” said Crimmins.
“Tri-County is a high spending school. That never was a problem when the state wasn’t paying for it … I
don’t think schools are going to be really open in communities lowering what they’re used to having in
order to come together. It’s a very complex issue. It sounds really good to talk about it, but it’s harder to
make happen.”
Looking forward, Mattix asserted that a progressive approach, though perhaps difficult, is what’s needed
to save White County schools from an economic downturn.
“Are we going to manage a decline, or are we going to do something about,” questioned Mattix, adding
that the time for action is now. “How many studies do we need? A lot of it is common sense, and I don’t
think we need anyone to wind our watches.”
With many board members agreeing that moves like securing the RUS grant and bringing the school
calendars together have been two of many positive collaborations, Tri-County Board President Don
Pampel asserted that tremendous benefits await the group, despite the challenges.
“The benefit to all of this? Holy cow, the sky’s the limit. The buy-in to what has to be done will be the
most difficult part I think,” said Pampel. “We can continue going on by ourselves, or we can make the
choice to work together with distance learning, sharing teachers … it’s our decision whether we take it or
not.”
Encouraging the group to reconvene more often then every three years, Cahill commended the boards for
the steps taken to address what is, for many schools, a mounted financial crisis.
“We have been here for two hours and 10 minutes, and I’ll bet you there’s not a county in Indiana this
year has done this … that listened to each other and talked to each other as you have,” said Cahill. “I’ve
been a moderator at many meetings like this, and I can tell that this is not a set-up. You should feel pretty
good about yourselves.”
corporation boards believe they are still on a path toward collaboration.
Joining together Monday evening at the White County 4-H Extension Building in Reynolds, members of
the four boards gathered together to discuss how far they’ve come in the past three years — and begin
taking at look at what the future will bring.
“You’re doing things together, you’re sharing ideas,” said Purdue University professor Dr. Dennis Cahill,
moderator for the evening. “This is a unique situation in the state of Indiana, what you’re doing here, and
you should all be very proud of yourselves.”
In the fall of 2007, all four White County schools formed a White County Steering Committee and teamed
up with the Wabash Valley Education Center, who helped apply for a Department of Education grant for
$25,000. When the grant was approved, the funds were used to conduct a study by Purdue’s Educational
Leadership initiative for small and rural schools.
Since August 2008, the White County consolidation/collaboration committee met monthly with the four
local superintendents and school board representatives.
“It’s too bad that the financial side of this is what brought us together, but I’m glad we’re here,” said
Frontier School Board President Barry Wesner. “Nobody likes change, but we’re at a time right now
where we need to tear down those sports rivalries and come together.”
Since its inception, the group has completed several of the goals that were determined in 2008, including a
common calendar for all the corporations, identifying school courses that could be offered through
collaboration, and the sharing of teachers.
More recently, the schools secured funding from a Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Grant, with help from
matching funds from the county, to purchase teleconferencing equipment to help use technology to share
services.
Despite the positive steps taken, however, North White School Board President Shannon Mattix asserted
that more changes need to be made to best serve White County students — changes, he said, that need to
start at the top.
“We can continue to kick the can down the road about what’s best for our stakeholders, but we need to
face the facts. Consolidation administratively is what’s best,” said Mattix, asserting that the consolidation
he believes is necessary is not of the bricks and mortar variety.
“We’re not talking about the consolidation of the 1960s. We’re not wanting to kill the mascots. What I’m
talking about is administratively operating under one umbrella … Superintendents: yes I’m talking about
you.”
According to Tri-County Superintendent Dr. Gib Crimmins, discussion of consolidating administrative
services by all four school corporations would by an empty proposition without then also looking at
consolidating school boards.
“You need to talk about one school board. You can beat around this idea all you want, but if you truly
believe in consolidation you’ll have to talk about one board,” said Crimmins. “Otherwise it’s a political
game, in my opinion.”
A worry for some of the board members was not simply the talk of consolidation, but the use of the “c-
word” itself. With lingering memories from the sweeping school consolidations lingering in the
consciousness of many White County residents, Twin Lakes School Board President Larry Crabb asserted
that projecting the right message to the public is imperative to the group’s success.
“We certainly don’t want to move backwards from where we started here, but I hate the word
consolidation. I don’t like that word. John Q. Public, when they hear that word, they think we are going to
shut down buildings,” said Crabb, who noted that focus must be placed on ways to save money while still
allowing schools to own their identities. “We’re going to have to sell this, and we’re going to have to keep
things positive.”
With Indiana State Representatives Don Lehe (R-Brookston) and Sheila Klinker (D-Lafayette) in
attendance, the board members spoke of their thoughts and concerns with actions taken by the state
legislature. According to Crimmins, changes in how schools are funding by the state has hit his
corporation as hard as any in the county.
“Being small is not a bad thing. I think it is kind of ironic that these charter schools receiving funding are
small. If we want rural Indiana to survive someone’s going to pay for it,” said Crimmins.
“Tri-County is a high spending school. That never was a problem when the state wasn’t paying for it … I
don’t think schools are going to be really open in communities lowering what they’re used to having in
order to come together. It’s a very complex issue. It sounds really good to talk about it, but it’s harder to
make happen.”
Looking forward, Mattix asserted that a progressive approach, though perhaps difficult, is what’s needed
to save White County schools from an economic downturn.
“Are we going to manage a decline, or are we going to do something about,” questioned Mattix, adding
that the time for action is now. “How many studies do we need? A lot of it is common sense, and I don’t
think we need anyone to wind our watches.”
With many board members agreeing that moves like securing the RUS grant and bringing the school
calendars together have been two of many positive collaborations, Tri-County Board President Don
Pampel asserted that tremendous benefits await the group, despite the challenges.
“The benefit to all of this? Holy cow, the sky’s the limit. The buy-in to what has to be done will be the
most difficult part I think,” said Pampel. “We can continue going on by ourselves, or we can make the
choice to work together with distance learning, sharing teachers … it’s our decision whether we take it or
not.”
Encouraging the group to reconvene more often then every three years, Cahill commended the boards for
the steps taken to address what is, for many schools, a mounted financial crisis.
“We have been here for two hours and 10 minutes, and I’ll bet you there’s not a county in Indiana this
year has done this … that listened to each other and talked to each other as you have,” said Cahill. “I’ve
been a moderator at many meetings like this, and I can tell that this is not a set-up. You should feel pretty
good about yourselves.”
| By KATIE DUFFEY kduffey@thehj.com |