PHM losing 180 students, Changes Madison Elementary

[Happy Mom]

Losing low-income students forces P-H-M to change Madison Elementary
By KIM KILBRIDE
Tribune Staff Writer


This fall, there no longer will be a school bus picking up 4- and 5-year-olds from Village Green Mobile Home Park and Arbors at Ironwood apartments in Mishawaka and taking them to preschool at Madison Elementary. In fact, there will no longer be a preschool.

The program that was piloted two years ago and offers the opportunity for young children in Penn-Harris-Madison's neediest schools to get a jump start on the skills they learn in kindergarten has been cut.

Ironically, the move has come because there are fewer economically disadvantaged students in the school district now than there were last fall.

As a result, federal Title I funds are being reduced by $92,000.

While it wasn't an easy decision for P-H-M administrators, it made sense to make the cuts at Madison, a school in which 26 percent of the students now receive free and reduced-priced lunches.

Back in the fall, that number exceeded 30 percent.

“This wasn't even on our radar,” said Nancy Nimtz, assistant superintendent for instruction, about losing some 4 percent to 7 percent of students who receive free or reduced-priced meals at P-H-M's six Title I elementaries.

Overall, since the beginning of this school year, the district has lost a total of 180 students. “Is that different than (this same point in) any other school year?” Nimtz asked. “I can't tell you. ... But I think it is. My gut tells me it is.”

What happened?

Jerry McKibben, P-H-M's Rock Hill, S.C.-based demographer who is originally from Mishawaka, has long predicted that the 10,000-plus student district would shrink by about 1,000 students within the next decade.

As for the loss this year of economically disadvantaged families, McKibben said it is really not a surprise.

A large subsidized housing community near Walt Disney Elementary School closed, he said. And another P-H-M elementary school draws kids from an area mobile home community, a type of housing that attracts a highly transient population, he said.

Many families, he said, are likely moving in with relatives. McKibben surmised about half of those who have left this school year likely live and attend schools in South Bend.

Nimtz said she hopes when the job market and economy stabilize, those students will return.
But McKibben isn't optimistic.

“Some will,” he said, “but the key issue is the availability of housing.” He doubts, he said, that all 180 students will return unless another large subsidized housing community opens in the district.

Barry Skalski, a Realtor with Prudential One Realty in Mishawaka and Edwardsburg, follows the local foreclosure market closely.

He approaches struggling homeowners and shares information with them about the possibility of selling their home as a short sale. That means, their bank agrees to take less for their home than it's mortgaged for.

“I've been doing short sales for three years,” he said, “and at first, people (who were being foreclosed upon) would say they were going to find a place to rent. But more and more, I've seen it become much more prevalent for people to combine households.”

Though there aren't foreclosure statistics available specifically on the P-H-M district, whose boundaries lie in Granger, Osceola and parts of Mishawaka and even Wakarusa, Skalski said “there are certainly more Granger ZIP codes popping up (in foreclosure listings).”

More impact

At Madison, full-day kindergarten will also be cut next school year.

That upsets parents like Tammy Yoder, who addressed the school board on the subject earlier this month during a regularly scheduled meeting at the Madison Township school.

Last week, she shared her frustrations further. “The preschool, I know, is one of those wonderful extra benefits,” she said, “but my main concern is full-day kindergarten. Having it taken away feels like a slap in the face.”

Several other parents also spoke in support of the programs. As to why Madison is taking the brunt of the cuts, Nimtz said of the district's six Title 1 schools, it has the lowest percentage of economically disadvantaged kids.

A KinderClub full-day program — one in which there is a charge — will be implemented at Madison next school year, Nimtz said.

And, she said, transfer requests to other P-H-M schools with full-day kindergarten will be honored for families with incoming kindergartners who desire a full-day program that's free.

Filling seats

In an effort to compensate for the lower enrollment that McKibben, the demographer, has predicted — in addition to the seats vacated this school year — P-H-M's board voted recently to open enrollment to students outside the district for the first time ever.

“We've been in the business of keeping students out,” Nimtz said. “Now, we're welcoming them in.”

As of last week, nearly 60 completed applications had already been received, Nimtz said.
McKibben predicted the district will initially attract 125 to 150 students whose families will pay tuition in the $800 to $1,000 annual range.

To be eligible for a transfer to P-H-M, students must be in good standing in their current school and have updated immunization records, among other criteria.

A lottery system will be used, Nimtz said, to admit students if interest is greater than the district is able to accommodate.

Asked about the notion that officials might pick the best and brightest candidates, Nimtz said it's simply not true.

“You may be a C-minus student in your school in good standing,” she said, “(and district officials would say) ‘bring it on.' ”

Staff writer Kim Kilbride:
kkilbride@sbtinfo.com
(574) 247-7759
http://sbtinfo.com/article/20100522/New ... 29837/1130

[Happy Mom]

P-H-M gains almost 100 transfer students
By SUE LOWE
Tribune Staff Writer

MISHAWAKA — Penn-Harris-Madison schools has already accepted almost 100 out-of-district students for the coming school year.

And more applications are being reviewed, according to Heather Short, the district's director of professional development and student learning.

The district's student population is expected to drop during the next 10 years and P-H-M board members approved acceptance of transfer students, hoping to keep money coming in.

Short said parents have applied for the transfer of 114 students, so far. Some of those applications haven't been processed.

Of the 98 students who have been accepted, Short said, 81 will be new and 17 are the students of employees who were accepted last year.

Short said not all students will be accepted at the school the parents desired but they can fit the 98 in somewhere.

She said the students are distributed through all grades.

The greatest number, 18, are kindergarten students.

She said not all the kindergarten students likely will be accepted at the parents' first choice for a school. Administrators won't know that for sure until closer to the start of the school year.

They were surprised to get applications for students for all the high school grades, including a couple for seniors.

Short said parents of middle and high school students are being told to make appointments with guidance counselors at the schools to make sure there is room in the classes those students need.

Last year, the district charged $50 for the children of school employees. Students of people who are not employees were not accepted last year.

Short said the Indiana Department of Education is requiring that they either charge nothing or follow the state's formula for transfer students in the future. She said that is estimated at $800 for the coming year.

Gregg Hixenbaugh, director of human resources and relations at School City of Mishawaka, said that district had 40 tuition students last year, the first year they would accept them.

So far, they have approved enrollment of another 21 students for the coming year.

Hixenbaugh said the district charged $790 for the transfer students for the 2009-10 school year and they expect the price will remain the same.

School City of Mishawaka board members are to vote at their next meeting on whether to allow the children of employees who live outside the district to attend free of charge.

Hixenbaugh said two children of employees attended last year and he is aware of three other parents who are interested.

State aid follows students to their new district. The new district can charge parents the cost of educating those children not covered by that payment. That cost is determined by a formula set by the state Department of Education.

Staff writer Sue Lowe:
slowe@sbtinfo.com
(574) 247-7758

http://sbtinfo.com/article/20100629/News01/6290349/1052

[Kingsman]

What say you about the new trend to welcome/advertise for students from outside the district, in some cases with free tuition. Remember when those bad old parochial schools were accused of "recruiting" star athletes? Was that so much worse than what has been discussed in SBF for the past year or so regarding certain SB high schools? Just askin'.

[Happy Mom]

What say you about the new trend to welcome/advertise for students from outside the district, in some cases with free tuition. Remember when those bad old parochial schools were accused of "recruiting" star athletes? Was that so much worse than what has been discussed in SBF for the past year or so regarding certain SB high schools? Just askin'.

You are exactly correct. There has been more "recruiting" in the Public Schools the past several years that there ever was in the Parochial Schools...

[cananybodyhearme]

What say you about the new trend to welcome/advertise for students from outside the district, in some cases with free tuition. Remember when those bad old parochial schools were accused of "recruiting" star athletes? Was that so much worse than what has been discussed in SBF for the past year or so regarding certain SB high schools? Just askin'.

The thought process is probably, "if you can't beat them, join them."

[bob_rx2000]

As a taxpayer in a particular school district, I'm frustrated that I am being taxed to provide an often ineffective education for a bunch of kids from the district. I'm livid at the idea I'm being taxed to provide any education for kids from outside the district. I hope the PHM taxpayers have some very pointed questions about this one.

[PaulGreene]

As a taxpayer in a particular school district, I'm frustrated that I am being taxed to provide an often ineffective education for a bunch of kids from the district. I'm livid at the idea I'm being taxed to provide any education for kids from outside the district. I hope the PHM taxpayers have some very pointed questions about this one.

Bob, what do you think of the fee that is being charged to the parents of transfer students? Doesn't $1,000 per year offset the taxes you would pay? Or do you feel it should be more? Or not done at all?

[bob_rx2000]

Well, my taxes are much higher than $1000 per year to begin with. Then we must consider all the various taxpayers who are paying taxes without having kids in the school system. Bearing in mind that the SBCSC is spending on average $13k per child per year, that fee sounds pretty paltry.

Now, if we had a true choice, with a voucher system...

[PaulGreene]

You seem to be being a bit inconsistent here, so I am not sure where you stand on this issue regarding Penn schools.

You stated;

I'm livid at the idea I'm being taxed to provide any education for kids from outside the district. I hope the PHM taxpayers have some very pointed questions about this one.

Do you feel that the $1000 fee is not high enough?

The only tax comparison regarding this subject that you can make is property tax. So, the question is on average, do those in the Penn, Harris, and Madison townships pay higher property taxes by at least $1000? If that is about right, then $1000 sounds reasonable to me. What say you?

[bob_rx2000]

OK,

1. Can a district educate a kid for a year for $1000? Since Penn is spending something like $7k per student and SBCSC spends $13k per student, that $1000 is a drop in the bucket.

2. If I am a taxpayer IN the district, and you pay $1000 and send your kid, but live OUT of the district, where is the funding coming from to make up the difference. Why, out of my taxes that I pay to educate the kids IN the district.

I'd be asking pointed questions if I were a PHM taxpayer.