[Southsider2k12]

http://www.laportecountylife.com/community...tions-committee

Michigan City Promise Scholarship (MC Promise) is pleased to introduce the newly formed Michigan City Promise Scholarship Exceptions Committee. The Exceptions Committee is a process for a student applying for the Promise Scholarship to appeal if he/she feels there is a compelling reason that they should not be denied. To appeal a denial, the applicant will have an opportunity to submit a written appeal to the Exceptions Committee.

The Promise Exceptions Committee will review all appeals and determine if there are extenuating circumstances that would allow granting a Promise Scholarship to the applicant. The Scholarship Exceptions Committee’s decisions will be final.

[exsteel5]

http://www.laportecountylife.com/community...tions-committee

This whole program should be an exception. It is very discriminatory. MC can't decide if they want people to live in Michigan City or go to MCHS? Some students that attend MCHS can't get the scholarship because they don't live in MC. Some students that live in MC can't get the scholarship because they do not attend MCHS. It is not even close to Hammond's program that is not discriminatory at all. Hammond knows exactly what they want. They want people to live in Hammond, so they give it to all students that reside in Hammond. Maybe someday MC will decide what they want their program to attract?

[Southsider2k12]

This whole program should be an exception. It is very discriminatory. MC can't decide if they want people to live in Michigan City or go to MCHS? Some students that attend MCHS can't get the scholarship because they don't live in MC. Some students that live in MC can't get the scholarship because they do not attend MCHS. It is not even close to Hammond's program that is not discriminatory at all. Hammond knows exactly what they want. They want people to live in Hammond, so they give it to all students that reside in Hammond. Maybe someday MC will decide what they want their program to attract?

They have pretty clearly decided that they aren't going to send MC tax dollars to people who do not live in MC, as they should. I can't think of a good reason why City of Michigan City tax dollars should be going to subsidize people who don't even live there. Anyone who attends the public schools is getting their share of any tax dollars that go to the school system specifically through the MCAS's programs, such as the dual credit program, whether you are a municipal resident or not. The schools and the City are two different taxing bodies, who have partially, but not completely overlapping populations. Each population is due a different and clear set of expectations. Going to school at MCAS does not entitle you to the City of Michigan City's tax dollars. That isn't discriminatory, it is law. The scholarship program is NOT a MCAS program. It is a City of MC program. It really is that simple. There is no need to entitle someone who doesn't want to live here.

They have also decided that having a strong and vital public school system is also a very important recruiting tool in getting people to choose a community, and are attempting to do things through the program and others to improve the reputation of the public school system.

For all of the communities outside of City that would like to a be a part of the program, I am sure the City would love to talk annexation to fix that problem. Its either that or coming up with funding of their own to participate in the program.

[Southsider2k12]

It is also worth pointing out that in the original municipal scholarship program, the Kalamazoo Promise, they require both that people live in the municipal city limits AND that they attended public schools only, with much longer residency and attendance requirements. Despite being in existence much longer than Hammond's plan, there has never been a successful legal challenge to those standards.

https://www.kalamazoopromise.com/10things/1...gsYouNeedtoKnow

[exsteel5]

It is also worth pointing out that in the original municipal scholarship program, the Kalamazoo Promise, they require both that people live in the municipal city limits AND that they attended public schools only, with much longer residency and attendance requirements. Despite being in existence much longer than Hammond's plan, there has never been a successful legal challenge to those standards.

https://www.kalamazoopromise.com/10things/1...gsYouNeedtoKnow

Kalamazoo Promise is privately funded, which is why they can set whatever rules they want to set. Hammond's is funded by water sales to Illinois (public funds), as it used to be funded by casino revenue. Michigan City's is funded by casino revenue (public funds). When you use public funds and discriminate against the tax base that pays those funds, there is an issue. I am surprised the ACLU has not yet stepped in. Don't get me wrong, I am glad Michigan City is offering it, but we might get walloped by a class action law suit and then it will be all for nothing. You can't discriminate against the taxpayers paying the bills because they decide not to attend the public school. Many people are home schooled these days. We will see in time if home sales/values increase and/or school enrollment increases. So far, the public school's grades have not been increasing in MC, and that is not helping either.

[Southsider2k12]

Kalamazoo Promise is privately funded, which is why they can set whatever rules they want to set. Hammond's is funded by water sales to Illinois (public funds), as it used to be funded by casino revenue. Michigan City's is funded by casino revenue (public funds). When you use public funds and discriminate against the tax base that pays those funds, there is an issue. I am surprised the ACLU has not yet stepped in. Don't get me wrong, I am glad Michigan City is offering it, but we might get walloped by a class action law suit and then it will be all for nothing. You can't discriminate against the taxpayers paying the bills because they decide not to attend the public school. Many people are home schooled these days. We will see in time if home sales/values increase and/or school enrollment increases. So far, the public school's grades have not been increasing in MC, and that is not helping either.

The government "discriminates" against people all of the time by making choices of who to fund and who not to fund in its programs. In fact I think it would be easier to argue that private schools because of the separation of church and state shouldn't be funded, than it is discriminatory to not fund their students. Realistically this program is going towards funding a more broad class of races and creeds than exist in the private schools.

The fact remains that Catholic is not a protected class so you have about zero chance at winning any sort of a discrimination lawsuit.

But everyone wants something for nothing, so I can't say that a lawsuit would surprise me. Quite literally they would be looking to take away college opportunity from poorer and blacker kids to give it to richer, whiter and more male kids in Michigan City, so it would absolutely fit today's political climate of trying to steal funding from those groups much like open enrollment and charter schools have done around the state of Indiana, despite the violations of public funding for private schools.

[exsteel5]

The government "discriminates" against people all of the time by making choices of who to fund and who not to fund in its programs. In fact I think it would be easier to argue that private schools because of the separation of church and state shouldn't be funded, than it is discriminatory to not fund their students. Realistically this program is going towards funding a more broad class of races and creeds than exist in the private schools.

The fact remains that Catholic is not a protected class so you have about zero chance at winning any sort of a discrimination lawsuit.

But everyone wants something for nothing, so I can't say that a lawsuit would surprise me. Quite literally they would be looking to take away college opportunity from poorer and blacker kids to give it to richer, whiter and more male kids in Michigan City, so it would absolutely fit today's political climate of trying to steal funding from those groups much like open enrollment and charter schools have done around the state of Indiana, despite the violations of public funding for private schools.

What does Catholic being a protected class have anything to do with it? Also, the poorer blacker kids aren't getting this scholarship anyway if they don't own a house, the program already discriminated against people who rent too. Again, MC needs to decide if they want people to live in MC or go to school at MCHS? This program is schizophrenic when deciding the ultimate goal they are trying to attain.

[Southsider2k12]

What does Catholic being a protected class have anything to do with it? Also, the poorer blacker kids aren't getting this scholarship anyway if they don't own a house, the program already discriminated against people who rent too. Again, MC needs to decide if they want people to live in MC or go to school at MCHS? This program is schizophrenic when deciding the ultimate goal they are trying to attain.

Legally to prove discrimination the first thing you have to prove is that you are a class that is not allowed to be discriminated against. Those sort of things need to come from a protected class. Typically it applies to things like race, sex, sexual orientation, etc. A lawsuit claiming that Catholic school kids are being discriminated against because of the fact they are Catholic school kids wouldn't go anywhere.

The program isn't complex, schizophrenic, or anything else. Just to be clear, the City of Michigan City and the Michigan City Area Schools are two different taxing bodies, which have two different and distinct sets of populations and boundaries. Granted a large portion of those boundaries overlap, but there are many residents who do NOT fit into both. Because this program is a City of Michigan City program, and not a Michigan City Area Schools program, the populations who benefit from this have to 100% fall within the Michigan City municipal boundaries. Michigan City tax dollars can't be allocated to go outside of the City of Michigan City. Period. End of story.

These funds come Blue Chip Casino and are earmarked for the taxpayers of the CITY of Michigan City for their exclusive benefit and usage. No municipality can send those tax dollars outside of their taxing jurisdiction. Expecting Michigan City tax dollars to benefit residents outside of the City of Michigan City just means that there is a lack of understanding of government and tax laws.

Now that being said, there is nothing to stop places like Trail Creek, Pott Park, Long Beach, LaPorte Co, etc from deciding to do like Michigan City did and either asking to join this fund, or creating their own programs for the benefit of their residents.

The goals of the program are super-obvious, at least to me. They want people to live in Michigan City, and they also want them to go to MC public schools. They just can't offer those sorts of incentives to people who don't live in their taxing body's boundaries. Just because some people are not willing to live in Michigan City, but still expect the free tax benefits of living there, does not change that.