County Council considers steps towards a new school district

 

SAINT JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- The group behind Save Clay Inc. is considering all options when it comes to keeping the doors of Clay High School open. 

“We’re trying to get a study by our Indiana Department of Education to see if it’s feasible for the unincorporated areas of this community to set up its own school district,” says Robert Smith, President of Save Clay Inc. 

They are looking into the chances of creating a new school district that would serve the unincorporated townships of Saint Joe County including German, Warren, Clay, Centre, and Greene Townships. 

“We want to show the Secretary of Education ‘Hey look, Saint Joe County Council, they want to see a potential reorganization,’” Christian Matozzo says, Attorney with Anderson, Agostino, and Keller PC.  

The first step of that process happened two weeks ago, when Save Clay Inc. presented a proposal to the St. Joseph County Council, asking for their support for the survey that would determine whether the idea is practical.   

South Bend Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Todd Cummings joined Monday night’s committee meeting to answer general questions about the corporation and its finances, along with how the closing of Clay High School will affect Clay Township.  

“It just seems like if that’s where such a large amount of your money is coming from, I’m just hoping that you’ve overturned every rock possible to try to keep that school open,” said County Councilman Dan Schaetzle during the meeting. 

The council asked various questions about the decision to close Clay, given the township provides the second highest amount of tax revenue to the corporation, according to Councilman Schaetzle.  

Councilwoman Amy Drake, who represents Clay Township, also spoke up saying many of her constituents have come to her with concerns about the closure.  

Both of those concerns to which Dr. Cummings referred to the low attendance rate of Clay High School for the last several years.  

“We do know that with 42% enrollment, we cannot live on property taxes alone,” said Dr. Cummings in the meeting. “There’s no way that Clay can sustain itself only on property taxes, it needs students to be enrolled.”  

Cummings also claimed that in the multiple surveys done during the structuring of the Facilities Master Plan, residents of Clay Township overwhelmingly voted to close Clay High School, but Save Clay says otherwise.  

“That’s how Save Clay was born,” Smith says. “That’s why we’re here with no vested interest, no skin in the game.”  

They just hope the council has enough questions answered to make an informed decision on the proposal in three weeks.  

“This isn’t over,” says Matozzo. 

The county council will vote on the resolution that would support that survey on September 12.