Submitted
The Noblesville Schools Board of Trustees issued the following open letter to the public, urging action now to protect public school funding.
As school board leaders, we have a unique understanding of the significant challenges public schools face and the extraordinary outcomes they provide for students, families and the community overall.
It’s clear to us how dangerous current proposed legislation to strip public schools of funding is to Noblesville Schools and ALL public schools in the state.
The Indiana House is currently considering taking tens of millions of dollars away from public schools and using that money to nearly double the rate of funding for private and charter school programs.
This means giving money to families making up to $170,000 per year to fund their personal use of private school while reducing the quality of education for 90 percent of students in the state.
Additionally, our legislators intend to take these resources away from public schools during a pandemic that has proved to be one of the most challenging times ever for our country.
- Legislators plan to reduce compensation funding for our educators, who are already some of the lowest paid in the nation.
- They are giving away dollars to a select few rather than supporting STEM and literacy programming to best prepare over a million young Hoosiers for the workforce of tomorrow.
- Lawmakers expect local communities to pass referendums just to maintain basic quality standards in schools, while funding private schools more generously than almost all other states in the country.
- They’re increasing taxpayer funding for vouchers and education savings accounts that lack transparency, achievement standards, financial accountability and most importantly – academic results.
Directing resources away from public schools will ultimately reduce the quality of our academics, school activities, facilities and staff.
We urge the Noblesville community to find your legislators and make your voices heard on this important issue. We do NOT support Indiana House Bill 1005.
We love Noblesville Schools and hope you do too. Please help keep our district strong.
Dr. Joe Forgey
President, Noblesville Schools Board
Laura Alerding
Vice-President, Noblesville Schools Board
Christi Crosser
Secretary, Noblesville Schools Board
Lisa Sobek
Member, Noblesville Schools Board
Stephanie Lambert
Member, Noblesville Schools Board
A reminder to all; Funding follows the student. There is no reason for public schools to be ‘paid’ if students have gone elsewhere. Families should rightfully be permitted school choice for their children. Your kids, your choice, right?
One has to only look at the year 2020 to be in fear of how far students have fallen behind, as the public schools were almost fully funded and these Taj Mahal buildings were closed a majority of the time. Families took that hit & it further showed (as a whole) parents do much of the educating of their children, after a full day of working at their own place of employment.
‘Distance Learning’ has been utilized in many industries from Auto Repair, to Telecommunications, to even the Military with great success, yet public schools with their so-called licensed educators, fail to keep pace with industry and it’s quality of on-line educational programs.
I’m sure there will be another referendum with teachers pay/benefits being it’s subject, as Noblesville holds the State Record for School Referendums.
Time to compete for customers, (students). It can only improve the end product, which is our children’s education.