Public receives Facilities Master Plan update following heated school board meeting

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Administrators with the South Bend School District held a work session Monday night to update the public on the district's Facilities Master Plan.

The plan, adopted by the board last year, aims to right size the district through a number of moves, including closing Clay High School this year.

The public came demanding answers, following an intense school board meeting on September 4th where several concerns were brought to light like safety and security as well as unclear communication over the Facilities Master Plan.

Superintendent Todd Cummings had encouraged those with issues to come to Monday night's meeting for an update.

Monday's meeting didn't come without its own questions, concerns, and opinions from the public.

Just over a month into the school year under the Facilities Plan, safety and security is a prominent topic with some students shifting to different schools, which increased enrollment at some facilities.

Campus safety personnel will be increased in buildings on top of additional cameras being installed.

District officials then shared plans to move along with the second phase of the Facilities Master Plan, focusing on redesignating vacant school buildings and the launch of new Career and Technical Education programs.

That also includes the establishment of the previously announced Saint Joseph County Career Hub, which will no longer be located in the Studebaker building downtown as originally planned, but another location is in the works.

As Superintendent Todd Cummings mentioned in the school board meeting on the 4th, the pain points of transitioning into the Facilities Master Plan are being felt by many.

Administrators are reminding parents and community members that their feedback is critical.

"Sometimes the conversation can get very hard," says Deputy Superintendent of South Bend Schools, Sarita Stevens. "We have to be strong enough or have the resolve where we can listen to people, and we can get their feedback because the answer comes from the collective. And so, when we collect all this information from various talents, various thought processes, we can come up with a very good program and a good plan."

The school board does regular Facility Master Plan meetings. If you're a parent that has concerns, that's the time to bring them up and have open conversations with school leaders. You can find their meeting calendar on the district's website.