Do you want your property taxes to pay for nonresident students to attend your neighborhood School?

In 2008, Indiana Schools were banned from charging tuition to transfer students, when the State took over the School's General Fund. Valparaiso School Board, along with other schools across the state, changed their policy to prohibit nonresident transfer students from attending Valparaiso Community Schools for two reasons: to protect the educational integrity of Center Township resident students and to protect the fiscal integrity of Center Township property taxpayers.

What seemed like a non-issue now takes center stage during Valparaiso School Board meetings as Board members consider changing the transfer policy to allow nonresident students from Immanuel Lutheran and St. Paul Catholic Schools to attend VCS. The question remains, what change will this bring to the educational and fiscal stability of the Valparaiso School system. Will these changes improve the system or at least maintain status quo for the School district?

Let's start with the money. Valpo Schools currently is in a unique position compared to other schools across the state because we are fiscally sound for at least the next 3 years. But that stability didn't come easy. The current school administration is a model for excellence in fiscal matters, building up an almost 6 million dollar rainy day fund over the past few years. VCS again was one of Indiana's "Best Buy" schools which means our Valpo students get the most out of the taxpayer's educational buck.

But the State now forbids schools from accepting tuition on the portion of the education budget coming from local property taxes. This year, Valpo received about $5,400/student from the State for the General Fund but each nonresident student will cost over $8,100/student when one includes the Center Township property taxes collected to fund education. If the School changes their policy and allows transfer students into VCS, we the taxpayers will cover that bill with no recourse to collect tuition for our costs.

What about the students and teachers? In today's public education world, effective allocation of resources translates to educational success. There is actually a term called "mission based resource alignment" which my World War II vet and rural farmer grandfather would have called "putting your money where your mouth is". When one combines the "put your money where your mouth is" philosophy with the "every child matters" philosophy, the proposed School Board policy creates a serious problem.

Ask any teacher, and they will tell you that each additional student in their classroom creates a greater educational challenge for the teacher and reduces the individual attention a student gets from their teacher. That teacher is spreading their individual teaching abilities across a larger student base and the difference between 30 and 31 students is noticeable in any classroom. Most peer-reviewed research on the subject shows that ideal educational environments are between 18-22 students per teacher. Once a classroom gets above 25 students the task of educating those students exponentially increases with each new student added. This doesn't factor in the need for more chairs, tables, desks, books, and basic educational amenities that keep Valpo's excellent education reputation in tact. When we add these extra students without receiving compensation for them, then we are academically doing a disservice to the resident students from Center Township.

Finally, the State identifies the need for transfer student policy to be non-discriminatory in nature. Also, the 14th Amendment of the US constitution upholds equal protection of all people within a State's jurisdiction. This is the real kicker with the proposed policy change, at least to me. The proposed policy permits only nonresident students that attended St. Paul Catholic School and Immanuel Lutheran School to transfer. I am sure the School Board's intention is not to prohibit nonresident children who attend other religion-based private schools from becoming VCS students, but essentially that is what the Board is doing. Let us not forget this: not all people are religious, and even they may want their children to attend VCS even though they don't live in the district.

In a court of law, the best of intentions go unnoticed especially when it comes to upholding American values of freedom and accessibility to all. Being a Democratic voter, I fiercely fight for the protection of the rights of all American people, particularly rights granted through the Constitution. On the most basic level, this proposed policy challenges both the 1st and the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, and as an American and civil rights advocate it doesn't set well with me.

I don't know what each of you think about this proposed change, but to me it doesn't meet the basic test that School Board members must administer in all their decisions. Their decisions must either maintain or exceed responsibility in 2 areas: educational stability and fiscal stability. The School Board's responsibility is to the constituents that live and vote in their district. This policy does not meet either of those responsibility areas.

The only solution is to petition the State and ask for changes to their policy so that Schools can collect tuition on all funding sources for education. We were able to do that before 2008, and legislators must answer this question, "why can't we do that now"?

Respectfully,
Candace Shaw
Concerned Valparaiso parent