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The small board room (top photo) at Metropolitan School District of Wabash County’s headquarters was standing room only for the public hearing Tuesday, May 24. Jim Elizondo (below) of Stifel in Fort Wayne, explains the cost and tax impact of a proposed building project. Photos by Phil Smith
MSD board presents case for new high school building By Phil Smith psmith@thepaperofwabash.com The public got a solid look at what the board of trustees for Metropolitan School District of Wabash County is hoping will be the next phase in the district’s six-decade history — one that the board also hopes will keep the corporation viable for at least that long into the future.
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A reconfiguration plan, one that involves the construction of a $113 million high school and the merging of Southwood Knights and Northfield Norsemen under one roof got its first public hearing May 24 during the board’s regular monthly meeting. The plan is a complex and pricey one, and is not without its detractors. The board met again on Tuesday, May 31 for the second public hearing. (The meeting took place after The Paper’s deadline.) If the board votes to move forward, a referendum on the issue will appear on the voting ballot for November since the project would more than double the average property tax rate.
The board, along with district administrators, is championing the proposal for a number of reasons, most of which dovetail with the district’s strategic plan. The hope is that reconfiguration will lessen the corporation’s footprint from five buildings to three; will keep education options available for MSDWC students; will ultimately save the district money and will also make the school corporation attractive to potential educators, miscellaneous staff and administrators. Declining county population and corresponding drops in enrollment have created the scenario that prompts the idea of combining the schools, according to Superintendent Mike Keaffaber and Chief Academic Officer Tim Drake. During the meeting, which attracted more than 30 attendees, some of whom had to stand and watch the proceedings from the hallway, Keaffaber said that the county population, topping out at more than 36,000 in the mid-1980s, has dropped below 32,000. According to projections, Keaffaber said, the population could continue to drop and
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projections have that decline at around 26,000 by 2050. Comparably, MSD’s total population for Northfield and Southwood has dropped by around half — 1004 students in the 1979-1980 school year to 509 last year. Drake said having a shortage of students and two buildings in which to staff creates a drain on academic availabilities for the district’s learners. “Our opportunities are very strong,” Drake said. “The catch of course is…a critical mass of students. We may offer those classes, but in order for those to fit into the students’ schedules, then we need to have a critical mass of students to make those work. Big schools have the same problem. It just becomes more magnified the smaller the student population is. To maintain that level of programming becomes a challenge as we get smaller because then that tighten up that schedule. If we go 2A and we do combine both high schools, kids are still going to have to make choices. However, I feel like to maintain the level Cont. on Page 4.
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