Gibson learning merger lessons

Schools chief has focus on research

Article Highlights

  • Franzy Fleck, superintendent of the East Gibson School Corp., appears this week on Newsmakers

School bells are ringing throughout the Tri-State this month, so it's a good time to consider the state of primary and secondary education, and the role of parents in ensuring that children succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. Franzy Fleck, superintendent of the East Gibson School Corp., appears this week on "Newsmakers," a weekly public-affairs television program co-produced by WNIN-PBS and the Courier & Press.

Fleck has taught at every level of education, from elementary school to college. He's also the author of "What Successful Principals Do: A Primer for Effective School Administration."

The following is an edited transcript of Fleck's interview with Courier & Press Editor Mizell Stewart III. The entire interview can be seen today at 11:30 a.m. on WNIN.

Franzy Fleck

Franzy Fleck

Q: What, in your opinion, is the state of our schools right now in Indiana and across the country?

A: Our schools are better than ever, and there's data and research to support that. We're having more students graduate from high school. We're having more students that are attending some form of a post-high school institution, whether it's an apprenticeship, a two-year institution, a junior college, or a four-year college. We're better than ever.

Q: And with that though, what we've seen in the economy is a change in the amount of tax revenue that's available to local schools, and so you all have also had to scrutinize your budgets. How is that playing out in the classroom?

A: Schools are just like every other entity in the state. There's fewer dollars, and we're having to scrutinize it. And in the past year, we've had our general fund that those dollars go to the state now, and it's being presented back to us. And so we're having to monitor those dollars, not that we don't every day. We're always looking for the best bang for our buck, and be efficient. And so it's been a challenge.

Q: Well, you refer to it. The state of Indiana now handles the general fund budget for local school corporations. The money from property taxes goes to the state, the state then runs that money through a funding formula and allocates that money back to local school corporations. How has that changed your ability to actually manage the district's finances?

A: Well before, it was always based on property tax, and property tax we all well know is the most stable form of tax collecting. And now it's based on state revenues and the sales tax. As you mentioned before, the economy's down, and people are spending fewer dollars or they're monitoring how they spend those dollars. And so when revenue's down, sales taxes are down, it's fewer dollars that are going to the state. Thus, it's fewer dollars that's coming back to our school districts.

Q: And one of the aspects of local school governance that has been disguised in several guises in Indianapolis and elsewhere is the issue of consolidation. East Gibson is one of three school corporations in Gibson County. What conversations have taken place about consolidation and do you think that is a good move for your district?

A: Consolidation is something again; it's worth looking at. All school districts are looking for the best way possible to utilize their dollars. ... Our district is not unlike other districts in that we are in a vocational educational co-op, meaning that we are with Dubois County, Spencer, Pike County. So we all consolidate to bring vocational education programs to our students. We are also, East Gibson, a part of a special education co-op. So the other two districts in Gibson County, Warrick County, Pike County, representing almost 20,000 students, we're in a special education co-op.

We are also a part of SIEC, and that's approximately 35 school districts that we use that power to purchase our insurance. We're a part of the Hoosier Heartland Trust, and that's worth about 10 other school districts that we pool together to bring in our insurance.

And so those are just a few examples, and we have other examples that we're consolidating, we're working together. ...

Q: One of the studies that recommended consolidation in counties such as Gibson?

A: Yes, and that was based, again, it was an unpublished dissertation. And that number was based on, could be, a small, maybe a 1 or 2 percent efficiency increase for school districts that were under, possibly, 650 students. Now, that same study also showed that when you were over 6,500 students you could show the same efficiency. But the consolidation talks became all about the smaller districts, and my question was, "Well what about districts that possibly have 20,000 students or more? Should they now become four school districts and have four superintendents and four central offices?" ...

Q: And the idea being that at that 6,500 student level that is the optimum enrollment in favor of consolidation?

A: Correct, and that's the question I have. It's all been about the smaller districts, then what about the larger districts?

Q: So, in other words, those districts that are under 6,500 students are right for consolidation, those districts and school corporations that are over 6,500, perhaps not.

A: Right, and with the consolidation, I've mentioned a few of the efficiency and financial pieces that we consolidate on. But it's also on the curriculum part. The Internet, the media has made it more possible to offer programs as well. And so we're right there with all the larger districts. And again, I'm speaking for a lot of the smaller districts in that we're offering the same programs.

Q: So you're able to offer different kinds of academic programs using distance learning as compared to. ...

A: Right, and we work with the universities as well, whether it's USI or Oakland City University. We're bringing those programs, and they're working with us. I know that the state average, I think, was 74 and 76 percent average in the state passing ISTEP, that's our state testing. And our district was not unlike others, we had 81 percent passing language arts and 89 of all our students passing at the math level.


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