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February 22, 2010

Anonymous The Kokomo Tribune Mon Feb 22, 2010, 11:35 PM EST

The issue:Taylor’s movement toward establishing a New Tech high school this fall.

Our view:All stakeholders deserve praise as they explore ideas to improve academic performance.

Until January of 2009, Taylor Community School Corp. seemingly had been in a state of financial crisis in perpetuity. And its situation never was more dire than in 2006.

Taylor petitioned the Indiana State Property Tax Control Board for a one-time, $1.7 million emergency increase in its tax levy that November. The tax board turned down the request. School officials were forced to begin considering consolidation with another school.

Later, the state Department of Local Government Finance granted Taylor an emergency tax levy of $425,000 per year for two years. Still, we believed the school district had until the end of 2009 to get its fiscal house in order before facing what it did in 2006.

Taylor Superintendent John Magers put aside that possibility last year. In his State of the School address, a first for the school corporation, Magers reported a cash balance of 16 percent of the school budget at the end of 2008.

It was a significant accomplishment. We praised Taylor’s present and former superintendents, school board, teachers union and residents. Such a fiscal turnaround would not have happened without the participation of these stakeholders.

Taylor again is involving all parties as it works to establish a New Tech high school this fall.

New Tech Foundation representatives of Napa, Calif., say such schools use student-directed, project-based learning to teach state content standards. They focus on developing skills like collaboration, communication, problem solving, work ethic, critical thinking and technology literacy.

Magers is expected to discuss the development of the New Tech high school at 7 p.m. Thursday, during his second State of the School address.

All stakeholders at Taylor deserve praise for the reasoned and respectful approach they’re taking as they explore ideas to improve academic performance.

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