The Plymouth School Board members approved a resolution Tuesday night that voices their opposition to legislation in the 2020-2021 session concerning Education Savings Accounts and vouchers.
Superintendent Andy Hartley said he believes that public education should be fully funded first.
“While the intention of the legislature over the past 10 years has been to fund all students’ education regardless of whether they’re in a public, private or charter school, it’s my belief that the legislature should fully fund public schools first,” said Hartley. “The governor’s Teacher Compensation Report outlines several steps that can be explored to help tackle that. We’ve been implementing several of those even before that report came out. One of those includes filling the funding gap that’s been created over the past decade by the legislature.”
He added that the state budget bill will be in the final committee hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee this week which should focus on a shortfall with public school funding.
Hartley said a meeting in Warsaw a couple of weeks ago welcomed multi-county school corporations collaborating to support public education with information dispelled concerning funding and teacher salaries.
With that, Hartley presented the resolution to the board for consideration.
“…and Wheras the Board believes that public schools provide a strong educational environment for all of Indiana’s children and Education Savings Accounts, if enacted, and expanded school vouchers, would put this environment at risk by directing resources away from those schools. NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved, the school board of the Plymouth Community School Corporation opposes the passage and signing of any bill expanding vouchers and/or creating Education Savings Accounts, approved this day.”
The board approved the resolution with a unanimous vote. It will be submitted to the state.
It was also noted on the record that the Plymouth Education Association is in full support of the board’s action on the resolution.
