Consultants’ advice for next steps
• Engage the community. Develop a strategy for explaining the district’s needs. Measure the community’s support for a second referendum. If at least 55 percent of those polled are in favor of it, go forward. If not, develop a “Plan B” to deal with the district’s financial problems. 

• Cut expenditures, seek legislative remedies and look for alternative funding sources, such as corporate sponsorships.  

• Work hard to keep existing students and consider changing policy to accept more out-of-district students. 

• Hire a communications specialist.
MISHAWAKA — Consultants who are retired superintendents from the area have advised School City of Mishawaka’s board and administration to potentially pursue a second taxpayer referendum, perhaps even two referenda. One would augment the district’s operational budget and the other would provide some funds to do repairs and upgrades to its aging buildings.

However, Bruce Stahly and Dean Speicher, previously from Goshen schools and Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp. respectively, did not specify dollar amounts the district should seek to raise via referenda.

Last fall, Mishawaka homeowners voted down a $28 million referendum here, leaving district officials scrambling to figure out how to handle an impending "financial cliff” in 2020 that’ll cost some $8 million.

The first step, Speicher said, is to engage the community, explain the district’s needs and consider forming a collaborating committee. Then, he said, poll the community. If at least 55 percent agree a referendum is needed, the committee could form a political action committee to support it.

If there isn’t that level of community support, he said, the superintendent should devise a “Plan B.” “Be very transparent and open to the community,” Speicher said. Lay out the moves that’ll have to made to be fiscally responsible. 

The consultants also advised the district continue looking for ways to cut expenditures that least impact students and faculty. Appeal to the legislature, they said, to seek some funding solutions. Look for additional grants and consider allowing corporate sponsorships of the district’s facilities.
Copyright © 2024, South Bend Tribune