Pressure on EACS to Drop Redesign Plan

   Pressure is building in East Allen County for the school board to drop its redesign plan.

   The plan calls for closing six schools, reconfiguring others, and building new schools. But at a packed board meeting Tuesday, some residents said the district needs to re-evaluate.

   At the meeting, Dr. Karyle Green, EACS superintendent, proposed the first part of the redesign: closing New Haven and Village Elementary schools. Green says that's the least complicated part of the plan.

   But at the end of the meeting, several residents got up to blast the redesign. Some told the board to start over. 

   This all comes after East Allen County voters overwhelmingly rejected a property tax hike the district wanted to offset costs. Many felt the proposed hike and the redesign were related, although the district insists they are separate.

   New Haven Mayor Terry McDonald was at Tuesday's meeting. He says the district needs to begin again.

   “I think the school board really needs to step back and just take a minute, and let's be really serious about this and not feel like they can't re-evaluate,” said McDonald. “There's nothing wrong with re-evaluating plans, especially when we're talking about the future of our kids and their education.”

   But Green says the redesign plan will go forward.

   “They are looking at it from a unique perspective in terms of their own individual community, and we're looking at a whole district, and we've got a solid redesign pan with an enhanced education program, and we're going to keep proceeding,” said Green.

   The board will vote at the end of the month whether to close New Haven Elementary and Village Elementary. The district also has to start making budget cuts since voters rejected the property tax hike on Election Day.