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April 22, 2009

Anonymous The Kokomo Tribune Wed Apr 22, 2009, 05:53 PM EDT

Until January of this year, 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 School 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 in January. 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. Taylor is out of state control, he said.

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 discusses whether to establish school uniforms and single-gender classrooms in the middle school. School officials sent home a survey with children to learn parents’ opinions on both items. Committees already studying research from schools that have adopted the practices will report their findings and the results of the surveys at a public meeting.

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

They’ve already weathered a financial crisis, as their students have shown improvements in test scores, attendance and graduation. And they’re looking for further gains.

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