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> MCAS to seek Tax referendum for increases
Southsider2k12
post Nov 18 2013, 03:07 PM
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http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...fb111882c3.html

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Officials take steps toward massive cuts
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November 17, 2013 12:00 am • Stan Maddux Times Correspondent

MICHIGAN CITY | Initial steps have been taken to decide how to close a budget deficit next year in the Michigan City Area Schools without a mass layoff of teachers.

Some Michigan City Area Schools officials are speculating an amount of the corporation's $91 million in debt will be refinanced to acquire funds to help keep as many teachers as possible.

The School Board has made no decisions on where to cut, but member Beryle Burgwald did asked for figures last week to see how much a redistricting of the elementary schools could save the district to minimize any teacher layoffs.

Burgwald said Pine and Lake Hills elementaries were overbuilt and could take students from other grade schools through redistricting.

He said redistricting the middle schools recently saved about $700,000.

"I think the same could be done for the grade schools," Burgwald said.

Former Coolspring Township Trustee Dennis Metheny said he was told after the meeting the board was positioning itself to refinance.

School Board President Don Delaney said the measure was a procedural move to help fund next year's budget and had nothing to do with refinancing -- which he said will not happen.

About 100 teaching positions, or 20 percent of the corporation's teacher workforce, will likely have to be let go, Delaney said.

He said the administration, though, is looking for any fat left in the already-scaled-back budget to reduce the anticipated lay offs.

Layoffs could be forced after voters turned down a request to raise property taxes Nov. 5 to help close a $4 million budget deficit next year.

Delaney said members of the opposition might be behind the speculation about refinancing to avoid guilt about the many anticipated teacher layoffs.

"They don't want to be associated with what's going to happen," Delaney said.

Delaney said any teachers pink slipped have to be notified in February and will continue to work until the end of the school year. Burgwald said cuts have to be made before Jan. 1.
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Jesse B
post Nov 19 2013, 06:42 PM
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QUOTE(Southsider2k12 @ Nov 18 2013, 03:07 PM) *


Don Delaney needs to stop with the negative scare tactics and get to work on a budget. Please stop blaming the taxpayers who voted "No". The board needs to take a good long look in the mirror and do their job they are getting paid for. Make the tough decisions and quit whining. If you can save that much money by redistricting Mr. Burgwald I suggest you look at this again in conjunction with the junior high schools this time too. If Lake Hills and Pine are underutilized there is your answer without having to axe 100 teachers. Can the same be done at the middle school level? Can we just use Elston as a middle school and close two others(Barker & Krueger). Can we down the road renovate Barker or Krueger and turn those into large Elementary schools closing an Edgewood or Coolspring? Just ideas but the School Board needs to come up with ideas, they cannot just be a rubber stamp. If you are too foolish to realize it as well your options of cutting sports, ROTC, the arts will only force other families to leave with their $6000 state dollars. May I suggest you make next years budget out with real secured $$$ and not money that is hoped to secure through a less than successful marketing campaign.
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taxthedeer
post Mar 25 2014, 08:02 PM
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Attended a jammed packed Michigan Area School Board Meeting tonight. Looks like Elston Middle School and Niemann Elementary school are going to close (or be "repurposed" was the term Dr. Botana used). Elston is primarily going to be used for vocational & adult education. Also grades K through 6 will be redistricted among the remaining elementary schools and 7th & 8th grade will be redistricted among Barker and Krueger Middle Schools. Grades 9-12 will still be at Michigan City High School.

They also said enrollment at Michigan City Area Schools will continue to decline at the rate 50 - 100 students every year for the next 10 years.
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MCwolves
post Mar 26 2014, 02:02 PM
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QUOTE(Jesse B @ Nov 19 2013, 06:42 PM) *

Don Delaney needs to stop with the negative scare tactics and get to work on a budget. Please stop blaming the taxpayers who voted "No". The board needs to take a good long look in the mirror and do their job they are getting paid for. Make the tough decisions and quit whining. If you can save that much money by redistricting Mr. Burgwald I suggest you look at this again in conjunction with the junior high schools this time too. If Lake Hills and Pine are underutilized there is your answer without having to axe 100 teachers. Can the same be done at the middle school level? Can we just use Elston as a middle school and close two others(Barker & Krueger). Can we down the road renovate Barker or Krueger and turn those into large Elementary schools closing an Edgewood or Coolspring? Just ideas but the School Board needs to come up with ideas, they cannot just be a rubber stamp. If you are too foolish to realize it as well your options of cutting sports, ROTC, the arts will only force other families to leave with their $6000 state dollars. May I suggest you make next years budget out with real secured $$$ and not money that is hoped to secure through a less than successful marketing campaign.

Don Delaney shouldn't even be on the Board. Why is someone who sent his kids to Chesterton even serving on the Michigan City Area Schools Board?
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Southsider2k12
post Mar 26 2014, 02:40 PM
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QUOTE(MCwolves @ Mar 26 2014, 03:02 PM) *

cool.gif--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jesse B @ Nov 19 2013, 06:42 PM) *</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Don Delaney needs to stop with the negative scare tactics and get to work on a budget. Please stop blaming the taxpayers who voted "No". The board needs to take a good long look in the mirror and do their job they are getting paid for. Make the tough decisions and quit whining. If you can save that much money by redistricting Mr. Burgwald I suggest you look at this again in conjunction with the junior high schools this time too. If Lake Hills and Pine are underutilized there is your answer without having to axe 100 teachers. Can the same be done at the middle school level? Can we just use Elston as a middle school and close two others(Barker & Krueger). Can we down the road renovate Barker or Krueger and turn those into large Elementary schools closing an Edgewood or Coolspring? Just ideas but the School Board needs to come up with ideas, they cannot just be a rubber stamp. If you are too foolish to realize it as well your options of cutting sports, ROTC, the arts will only force other families to leave with their $6000 state dollars. May I suggest you make next years budget out with real secured $$$ and not money that is hoped to secure through a less than successful marketing campaign.

Don Delaney shouldn't even be on the Board. Why is someone who sent his kids to Chesterton even serving on the Michigan City Area Schools Board?


Agreed 110%.
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Southsider2k12
post Apr 4 2014, 02:16 PM
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I finally drew a nice comparison to show how what Michigan City home owners pay into the school system based on local tax rates of area school systems. Starting off, Michigan City would have had a rate of 53 cents per $100 of Net Assessed value, which dropped to 36 cents this year.

For arguments sake, say that total ended up meaning the average City resident would have paid $100 to the school system in taxes per year, at the $.53/1000 NAV rate. Using the same base house value, with the new tax rate, this is how we compare to the area, based on school system tax rates...

Michigan City $67.92
LaPorte $173.58
Duneland $207.54
Merrillville $226.41
South Bend $254.71

Any questions why our schools are closing?
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taxthedeer
post Apr 4 2014, 02:29 PM
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QUOTE(Southsider2k12 @ Apr 4 2014, 03:16 PM) *

I finally drew a nice comparison to show how what Michigan City home owners pay into the school system based on local tax rates of area school systems. Starting off, Michigan City would have had a rate of 53 cents per $100 of Net Assessed value, which dropped to 36 cents this year.

For arguments sake, say that total ended up meaning the average City resident would have paid $100 to the school system in taxes per year, at the $.53/1000 NAV rate. Using the same base house value, with the new tax rate, this is how we compare to the area, based on school system tax rates...

Michigan City $67.92
LaPorte $173.58
Duneland $207.54
Merrillville $226.41
South Bend $254.71

Any questions why our schools are closing?

My 70 year old widowed mother with no children or grandchildren in the system. Would have had to pay almost an extra $1600.00 in property taxes over the next seven years (god willing she is still living) if the referendum would have passed.
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