Tag: Monroe County Community School Corporation

Huge population variance leads MCCSC to mull proposal for new board seat district map

In 2024, anyone who wants to win election to a board seat for the Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) will likely be navigating by a district map that is different from the current one.

This is a proposed board seat district map for MCCSC, which appears on the July 25, 2023 board meeting agenda for adoption. This map is unofficial in that the boundaries were drawn by The B Square, based on the information available from MCCSC. The white triangles indicate where incumbent board members live—based on public records. Each of the tiny dots plotted out on the map correspond to 1 person as counted in the 2020 census. The image links to a high resolution .pdf version of the map.

That’s because some changes to MCCSC’s governing plan are set to get a vote by the seven-member board at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday night.

It’s the governing plan for MCCSC that needs to be amended in order to change the board seat district boundaries. (Attendance boundaries for specific schools are not related to this discussion.)

The board kicked off the redistricting process by adopting a resolution at the start of 2023. The resolution stated, in part, that the board “does hereby commit to commencing with the process of board district realignment.”

It was in 1994, nearly three decades ago, when MCCSC last set its board district boundaries.

But it’s not just the pure passage of time that has led the board finally to consider redrawing the boundaries. It’s because after 30 years, with no adjustments made to the boundaries, the relative population figures for the board districts are now dramatically out of whack.

Based on the 2020 census numbers, the board districts show a whopping 72.5 percent population variance. Continue reading “Huge population variance leads MCCSC to mull proposal for new board seat district map” →

8.5-cent property tax increase for early childhood ed mulled by MCCSC board, public outreach on May 24

Monroe County Community School Corporation superintendent Jeff Hauswald (May 23, 2023)
Monroe County Community School Corporation board president Brandon Shurr (May 23, 2023)

No referendum to increase property taxes has yet been placed on the Nov. 7 ballot by the Monroe County Community School corporation board.

But at its Tuesday night meeting, the board voted unanimously to pass a resolution authorizing district superintendent Jeff Hauswald to  consult with Monroe County auditor Cathy Smith about the calculations that would go into increasing MCCSC’s property tax rate by 8.5 cents.

A press release issued immediately following the board’s meeting  says, “In the November 7th election, MCCSC expects to ask voters to approve the rate not to exceed $0.085 per $100 of assessed property value.”

The revenue generated by the additional tax would go towards early childhood education for 3-to-5-year-old children, as well as other initiatives to make education more accessible.

The other initiatives include free instructional technology, supplies, and consumables for all students. Also made free would be Advanced Placement (AP) exams and tests that are needed for workplace certificates. The additional revenue would also mean free career education, including tuition, testing, supplies, and associated fees.

To lay out details of the potential referendum and to get feedback from the public, MCCSC is hosting a meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday (May 24) at the MCCSC Co-Lab at 553 E. Miller Drive, which is the regular board meeting location. Continue reading “8.5-cent property tax increase for early childhood ed mulled by MCCSC board, public outreach on May 24” →

Start for MCSCC students delayed until Aug. 12, online-only at first

On Tuesday night, the board of the Monroe County Community School Corporation voted unanimously  to accept revisions to the district’s re-opening plan proposed by superintendent Judith DeMuth.

cropped MCCSC board meeting Screen Shot 2020-07-28 at 6.38.22 PM
Screenshot of the MCCSC board meeting of July 28, 2020

A resurgence of COVID-19 cases across the country, state and local region, has led to concerns about the safety of students, teachers and staff.

Highlights of the revisions include a delay to the start for students until Aug. 12.

At that point, instruction will be online-only—at least to start. A re-evaluation of the situation will be done by Sept. 11. Families will get a week’s notice before a change from online instruction.

Teachers will start Aug. 5 and use the time from then until Aug. 12 to prepare for online-only instruction. Continue reading “Start for MCSCC students delayed until Aug. 12, online-only at first” →