Elkhart Schools facing difficult choices, big changes

By Ed Ernstes (ernstes@wsbt.com)

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Elkhart Schools are looking at consolidating bus routes, changing the start time of school or changing student walking zones next year in order to save money. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Mar 25, 2009 at 3:16 PM EST

Story Updated: Mar 27, 2009 at 1:38 PM EST

ELKHART — The clock is ticking for Elkhart school leaders. By the first part of May, they must decide how to cut up to $1 million from the system's budget. That will likely mean big changes for next school year.

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“Those are difficult choices to make,” said Elkhart Schools Superintendent Mark Mow.

For Elkhart school leaders, those choices need to be made fast. The school system must save money.

Starting next year, that could mean changes like consolidating bus routes, changing the start time of school or changing the student walking zones.

“We don't think anything we're doing right now is a luxury or a frill, so we're really, really having to make some hard decisions, and it's a difficult thing to do,” Mow said. “We have a timeline that eventually results in a recommendation to the school board on May 12.”

That gives school leaders just over a month to meet with parents and administrators, to review recommendations as well as get input from a consulting group.

“Making sure that what we do, though it won't be popular, truly results in the best decisions we can make,” Mow added.

Parents, especially those who are teachers, are taking an active interest in how this will unfold.

“As a parent, I'm always concerned about getting my child off to school and in on time,” said paraprofessional Stephanie Whitehead. “As an employee, I'd be very concerned, am I going to be able to do that and get to work on time.”

“I would like to see them do that instead of cutting jobs, teachers and programs,” said kindergarten teacher Amy Richardson. “But it doesn’t present a program as far a daycare.”

“Now my kids at home leave on the bus before I leave for school,” said speech therapist Teresa Zinich. “If they were to leave for school after I had to be at work, I would be concerned did they get up, did they shut the house down.”

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