Elkhart Community School officials are considering a $33 million reorganization plan that would merge the two high schools, among other changes, officials announced Thursday.
The Central High School and Memorial High School campuses would remain in use, with grades 10 through 12 in the Memorial building because of its proximity to the Elkhart Area Career Center on California Road, and grade 9 would be located at the Central building, said Shawn Hannon, assistant superintendent for communications and data. Both campuses would operate under the name “Elkhart High School.”
North Side and West Side middle schools, now containing grades 7 and 8, would add 6th grade. Three schools would become kindergarten through 8th grade: Bristol and Monger elementaries, which are now K-6, and Pierre Moran, which is now grades 7 and 8.
The plan comes as Indiana public schools are increasingly competing for students with each other, as well as charter schools and private schools via vouchers.
Elkhart had just one high school until 1972, when the school board decided to open Memorial and operate two high schools. Their combined enrollment is about 3,500.
School board member Karen Carter, on the board for the past 22 years, said she already was hearing opinions about the reconfiguration proposal Thursday while scooping ice cream at an employee appreciation event.
"I know there are strong feelings on either side and it's awfully hard to weigh them," Carter said. "I'd prefer to wait and see what the public has to say before I commit to how we should go forward. If a lot of people are not in favor of it, I'm not sure I could go forward, but on the other hand, I think there are a lot of opportunities I think people will be interested in."
Superintendent Rob Haworth told The Elkhart Truth he's happy with how both high schools are performing.