Mayor Terry McDonald announced his plan to secede from the district, shortly after E.A.C.S. approved a redesign plan. The plan would close six schools and leave the district with 5 high schools next year. The Mayor says his main concern is the quality of education. But the districts Superintendent says she doesn't know why it didn't come up before the plan was finalized.
Karyle Green, the Superintendent of East Allen County Schools, says “It's interesting that this has just been a push for the last couple of weeks since our board voted. Because this discussion has happened in East Allen for over 20 years. So if there has been a push to go to 2 high schools, which is what I understand the topic of New Have to be, they've had 20 years to get that idea sold.”
Mayor McDonald has created a task force to study how to accomplish the split. McDonald says “They are going to look at all aspects. The possibility and feasibility to examine what it's going to take in law to work with our state legislators.”
State law requires that the E.A.C.S. board sign off on any plan by New Haven to pull out. So Mayor McDonald wants the law changed. McDonald says “It's our desire that the state legislature will see the need to not have to have that because obviously what would be the incentive for EACS Board to day fine go ahead.”
The districts superintendent says other cities have tried the same thing, but failed. That's because the state wants fewer districts, not more of them. Green says “I know the state of Indiana is not looking to increase its numbers of school districts, but to decrease the number of school districts.”
The Mayor says he's ready for a long fight.
