Additional school count day proposed

Some local school officials like the idea of a second school-count day, while others don't.

The Indiana legislature is considering two initiatives that propose multiple count days -- Senate Bill 280 and House Bill 1189. The school count day, traditionally known as the average daily membership day, is taken in mid-September and helps the state determine how much money schools will get per student.

Stephanie Sample, Indiana Department of Education spokeswoman, said the department -- and many school leaders around the state -- support the move to multiple count days, because it means money will more closely follow students.

"Our current single-count-day method uses the enrollment count taken on a single day to calculate schools' funding year-round. The move to multiple count dates will address the issue of students moving from one school to another during the course of a single school year," she said.

Lake Ridge School Board President Rick Lowe thinks it's a good idea to have a couple of school count days.

"I think there needs to be a better way to do it rather than depending on just one date for your funding," he said.

Gary school officials generally have supported an additional count day because they have said many students who transfer to a charter school return to the district.

However, Darren Washington, Gary Community School Corp. board president, said he's more familiar with HB 1189, which is not a good bill for school districts, he says.

"Every time a student leaves a traditional school and goes to a charter school, this bill will allow (the new district) to immediately take the dollars away, but if a student returns, the legislation does not provide for the student getting those dollars back immediately," he said.

George Letz, superintendent for the MSD of Boone Township, said the legislation will hurt his district, which has lost students since the beginning of the school year.

"We have obligations to meet year-round, contracts with the teacher's union and other vendors. We prepare a budget in the summer to get approved in the fall for the following calendar year. If that money is taken away from us, it makes it more difficult to meet our needs," he said.