Superintendent's Corner

Greetings Franklin Township Community!

Every Indiana Legislator has a role to play in adopting our school funding formula; however, some have leadership roles that give them greater influence than most. In addition to our own local legislators, these leaders are key to determining how future school funding efforts and other education related legislation will impact FTCSC.

If you would llike to communicate your thoughts to the fiscal and education leaders of the General Assembly I have provided a few of their names, committee assignments, and email addresses.

You may send them letters via U.S. Mail at the address below.

State House
200 West Wahington
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2758

• Sen. Brandt Hershman
  S7@in.gov
  STANDING COMMITTEES
  Chairman of Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee
  Appropriations committee
  Energy and Environmental Affairs Committee
  State Budget Committee
  
• Sen. Luke Kenley
  S20@in.gov
  Leadership: Chairman, Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee
  STANDING COMMITTEES
  Appropriations, Chair
  Education & Career Development
  Tax & Fiscal Policy
  
• Sen. Dennis Kruse
  S14@in.gov
  Leadership: Chairman, Education and Career Development
  STANDING COMMITTEES
  Pensions & Labor
  Agriculture & Small Business
  Utilities & Technology
  
• Robert Behning
  H91@in.gov
  INDIANA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEES
  Education, Ranking Republican Member
  Commerce, Energy, Technology and Utilities
  
• Greg Porter
  H96@in.gov
  INDIANA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  Education (Committee Chairman)
  Courts & Criminal Code
  Insurance
  
• Jeff Thompson
  H28@in.gov
  INDIANA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEES
  Education
  Ways and Means
  

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Please find below a letter that was sent by me to ALL Indiana legislators. This letter was sent in an effort to raise awareness about the financial difficulties that our community now faces. It is our hope that in the near future the Indiana legislature will do what is right for public education and our kids.

Dear Legislator:

Capping property taxes for homeowners, farmers, and businesses is an exceptionally popular concept among Indiana taxpayers. As a school district leader I understand and support efforts to reduce taxes and stimulate business development. I also know that a strong education system from pre-school through college is a key to Indiana's growth and economic development. While I know these things to be true, I believe strongly that property tax caps should not impact any governmental entity to the point that it is unable to provide essential services to its citizens.

On behalf of the parents and students of the Franklin Township Community School Corporation (FTCSC), I am pleading for your assistance. It is likely that the property tax caps will impact our school corporation greater than any governmental entity in Indiana.

FTCSC is the unintended victim of a disproportionate impact of the property tax caps. As you know, school districts must first pay their Debt Service expenses from property taxes levied for that purpose. The property tax levy that remains available to districts after Debt Service is fully funded must support funds for Capital Projects, Transportation Operations, and Bus Replacement. The most recent projections from the Legislative Services Agency indicate that the revenue shortfall for FTCSC due to the implementation of property tax caps without any state replacement grant will be $8,758,714.00. Our expected levy for transportation and CPF in 2010 is $10,444,007.00. The loss of 84% of our available levy will have a devastating effect upon our ability to provide transportation for our students and families. After we pay $1,285,000.00 for the utilities expenses in our CPF we will have only $400,293.00 remaining to maintain all of our school facilities and transport nine thousand students.

We are in the process of reducing our General Fund Expenditures by $6,700,000.00 (11%) in order to balance that budget for 2011; however, there is no expenditure reduction, efficiency, or economy that can be implemented to save transportation services to our community when the property tax cap is fully implemented without a replacement grant.

Again, I am asking for your assistance. We must rely upon additional revenue from some source in order to maintain any kind of a transportation program in 2012. FTCSC students and families should not be so disproportionately impacted by the implementation of Indiana's property tax caps. Please keep the plight of FTCSC students and families in mind as this legislative session continues.

Sincerely,

Walter Bourke, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Franklin Township Community School Corporation

UPDATED 2/12/2010

The following measures were voted on, and enacted by the FTCSC School Board on February 10th, 2010.

1. Restructuring of Schools
• Idella Kitley Intermediate School Becomes the Idella Kitley Elementary School.
• Edgewood Intermediate School Becomes Edgewood Kindergarten/Early Childhood Center and all Developmental Pre-School and Kindergarten Students will be enrolled there.
• Wanamaker Elementary and Acton Elementary will be Closed and that their Student Populations will be Assigned to Idella Kitley Elementary School.
2. Development of Student Fees for Athletic Participation
3. Assignment of Hourly Classified Employees to Health Insurance Plan 3 and Change the Contribution Towards the Cost of Plan 3 (85% - 90%).
4. Implementation of a Three-Tier Bus Schedule that Requires Splitting Elementary Schools into Two Different Tiers; Transporting All Students to School; and that Requires All school bus riders to Pay a Rider Fee.
5. Reductions in Administrator Health Insurance Benefits by 15%.
6. Eliminate Paid Holidays for All Classified Staff Employed Less Than 12 Months Per Year.
7. A one-time payment in the amount of $15,000 in January of 2011 into the 401(a) account of any certified employee who has twenty years or more of experience in FTCSC, who has been employed for the entire 2009-2010 school year, and who submits their irrevocable letter of retirement between February 10, 2010 and March 15, 2010.