Talk of the Town - Whitley County

(Talk of the Town photo by Teresa Smith of the Tribune-News) State Senator Jim Banks, below, talks with constituents about legislative issues as they effect Whitley County residents during a GOP breakfast held Saturday in Columbia City.

By Teresa Smith of the Tribune-News

State senator Jim Banks (R-Columbia City) and representatives Kathy Heuer (R-Columbia City) and Dan Leonard (R-Huntington) faced a hard class of teachers Saturday morning when the lawmakers spoke at the Whitley County GOP breakfast in the CC Deli.
The political party’s monthly meeting is designed to update the party faithful on pending and passed legislation, introduce candidates and discuss policies.
While Banks, Heuer and Leonard briefly outlined the last couple of months’ activity at the Statehouse, the more than 50 teachers who attended the meeting had their minds on one subject: the future of Indiana education and their jobs.
Because school funding has switched from property taxed-support to the general fund all school corporation have seen drastic cuts, “more than $1 billion,” according to Leonard.
Pending legislation about the structure of charter schools also have the members of the Teachers Association up in arms.
“It hurts my heart when our governor says we’re in it for the money,” said Northern Heights kindergarten teacher Cheryl Stalter. “I know that God gave me the talent to teach and I want you to know we do it because we love these children or we wouldn’t walk into that school every day.”
Banks said the current session ends April 30. “We must pass our two-year state budget and look at redistricting. The Senate has sent 60 to 70 bills to the House and many are education related issues. Next week is the deadline for legislation to move to the other Chamber.”
State Bill 32 regarding vote centers has been approved by the Senate and the House. It establishes the use of vote centers as a option for all counties, allowing voters the ability to vote at any voting location in the county as opposed to a specific precinct.
Heuer said laws regarding charter schools have been drafted in response to parents who say they don’t have faith in the public school system. The parents want an alternative.
House Bill 1002 establishes the charter school board as a statewide sponsor of charger schools sponsors with members appointed by the governor, state superintendent and General Assembly.
The bill certifies that no less than 60 percent of state revenues received by the charter go toward student instruction. It requires a charter to be open to everyone and, among other things, allows a public school to convert to a public charter.
House Bill 1008; Venture Capital Investment Tax Credit increases the amount of tax credits available for investment in a qualified Indiana business from $500.000 to $1 million. It suspends for two years the $200 application fee a business must pay to become a qualified Indiana business.
Heuer said she voted for the charter school legislation because it gives parents more choices. She talked to school superintendents who said it wouldn’t affect local education.
“We were responding to the parents who have said over and over and over again, ‘please give us an alternative.’ The legislature is there to help, not hurt,” she said to derisive laughter.
Signs read “New state motto: ‘DRAWROF’” and “If you can read this, thank a teacher.”
One Whitley County teacher reminded the lawmakers that teachers have recently agreed to freeze their salaries, dropped two paid days and watched their insurance benefits change significantly.
“How many of you have spent 20 minutes with a group of children?” one citizen challenged.
The teachers postulated that public school was the only option and that charter schools would not require all teachers to be certified.
Leonard pointed out that 47 percent of the general fund goes to kindergarten through high school-level education.
“There are a multitude of controversial issues being presented,” he said. “We listen to hours and hours of presentations and read, read, read. I try to represent the people of this district."
The governor’s flat-line budget, Leonard said, shows a lot of trimming from two years ago. Gone is the $27 million subsidy to horse racing tracks.
He said Gary Community School students receive $12,000 per student compared to $5,800 for students who attend Whitko schools.
“We’re trying to level it out,” he said. “Of the 300 school corporation in the state, 200 schools will receive an increase in revenue or an increase in dollars per student; 100 school systems will loose money."
“We want to fund schools as much as possible," Leonard added. "We spend more per square foot on school buildings than any other  state in the nation and we’re $1 billion short of education funding than we were two years ago.”
Heuer said she would be happy to meet with teachers as early as next Saturday to discuss education issues.