The West Clark school board voted unanimously Thursday to let Silver Creek schools secede from the district, just two days after voters overwhelmingly shot down a proposal to finance a $95 million construction project by increasing property taxes.
The board's decision – a "Plan B" after 70 percent of voters rejected the Tuesday bond issue – puts West Clark Community Schools on a path to becoming the first school to successfully split a district in Indiana history.
West Clark Superintendent Chad Schenck said the next few months will be "uncharted territory" for local and state school officials and chalked up the outcome of the vote to "historic frustration."
"I don't have a GPS, I don't have a Siri, I don't have a roadmap for what lies next on this path," he said.
What happened?
In front of a packed boardroom Thursday at Borden High School, the five-member West Clark school board discussed four options after the referendum failed – secession, consolidating schools, trying another referendum, ordoing nothing.
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West Clark secretary Douglas Coffman made a motion for secession, which was approved unanimously by the board of elected officials, prompting cheers from the crowd.
"There were four options and I think secession was the most viable," Coffman told Courier Journal on Friday.
Under the proposal, Silver Creek would take its roughly 2,900 students at three schools and create its own school district. The Henryville and Borden schools, which have about 1,700 students, would remain West Clark.
Schenck said he was not surprised by the outcome of the board's vote, but was shocked it was unanimous. The vote was a result of decades-long frustration "that was building in this district," he thinks.
"The communities and those who speak loudly are the ones who have not been able to historically get along," Schenck said, adding that he would have preferred the board tohave waited for emotions to die down afterthe failed referendum.
Matt Barton, whose daughter attends Henryville Elementary, said he could feel "tension" in the room between supporters of the different schools, as some Silver Creek parents attended the meeting wearing shirts urging secession.
But, after the vote, the results were received well on both sides.
"After that, it seemed like everyone was really happy – everyone was talking, everyone was civil. I think it went over really well last night," he saidFriday.
What's next?
Whilesplitting of the district is permitted under state law, the process is one that has never been attempted and could take months to complete.
The process is detailed in Indiana Code 20-23-4, under which the "dissolution of established school corporations" is allowed.
The first step officials will take is to have a judge of the circuit court of the county to appoint a nine-member committee, which is required to include three school officials. The groupis tasked with gathering data to create an initial plan to submit to the state board.
Once an initial plan is created, it's subject to multiple rounds of approval from the state, as well as local residents and taxpayers. Depending on the route the corporation takes, another special election may be held during the process.
"The main concern I have is it hasn't been done," said Coffman, the West Clark board member. "But I don't think they would have written law if they didn't expect it to come up."
Julie Slavens, staff attorney for the Indiana School Boards Association, likened the process to creating a new school district or consolidating an old one.
Issues that would need to be worked out include the splitting of finances, as well as how to divvy up any debts, ensure fair enrollments, and create proportionate tax districts.
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She has the whole process could take up to a year, but it really depends on how fast those details are ironed out.
"Dissolution has never been really done before so it's going to be interesting to see how this works," said Slavens, who has worked in an advisory role for the West Clark board. "I'm not aware of anyone who has even tried it, period."
Superintendent Schenck said he will also reach out to the Indiana Department of Education but hadn't done thatas of Friday morning.Indiana Departmentof Educationoffices were closedFriday, and a spokesman did not respond to a Courier Journal call and email seeking comment.
In the meantime, Schenck said he's going to be open and transparent about the process with staff and parents, but themain focus is going to be on educatingstudents.
"On Monday,the sun's gonna rise and we're going to educate kids the best we can in the district," he said. "The powers that be, which is not me, will determine what happens with the secession."
How do parents feel?
Less than two miles away from West Clark's administration building, a truck was parked with a billboard urging voters to "Vote No"on the 2018 West Clark School Building Renewal/Restoration, Expansion and Safety Project.
That proposal was shot down duringTuesday's special election.
Theconstruction proposal called for using about $83 million of the proposed $95 million to renovateSilver Creek schools. Smaller improvements included new security doors for all schools, while larger projects included heating and cooling improvements, construction on new buildings,renovations to classrooms, and upgrades to cafeterias.
Barton, the Henryville parent, acknowledged that the schools are in need ofupgrades. He voted no because he didn't like how the majority of the money went to one school, and was concerned that not all the money was going to be used on the project.
His main concern was that the project would have been funded with the property tax increase. Pre-vote estimates said the referendum would have added roughly $424.20 in taxes a year on properties with a netassessed value of $175,000.
Barton said he wasn't shocked at the results of the referendum – he said he actually predicted an 80-20 vote.
"Everyone wants what best for the schools," said Barton, who lives in Memphis, Indiana, and went to Silver Creek High School. "There was a lot of stuff in the referendum that wasn't necessary for education."
After the Thursday vote, he acknowledged there is a lot of uncertainty, but said he feels it could work because Henryville and Borden have a solid tax base on their own.
"I think it's a big step in the right direction," he added. "I hope it all works out the best.
Reporter Justin Sayers can be reached at 502-582-4252 or jsayers@gannett.com.
