With little notice and no public debate, lawmakers closed a rural school district with a property tax reform bill

Rep. J.D. Prescott defends his reasons for closing USC
 at a public meeting. (Photo by Eric Weddle, NPR)

School officials and parents were shocked to learn Indiana lawmakers quietly closed their rural school district without public debate. "Tucked into a sweeping property tax reform bill with little public notice, the closing of Union School Corporation came as a surprise to nearly everyone except the lawmaker who wrote it — Rep. J.D. Prescott, a Republican from Union City, Ind.," reports Rachel Fradette of NPR, Indianapolis.

Located in tiny Modoc, Indiana, Union School Corporation educates roughly 7,500 students through its virtual programs, with around 290 students attending class in person. Fradette writes, "Under Indiana’s new property tax reform law, it will be dissolved in 2027 and the area (redistricted) among other school corporations."

At a town meeting just days after the bill passed, residents questioned Prescott about the lack of notice. Prescott told them, "The legal process was followed." Fradette reports, "Prescott told the crowd a combination of factors led him to write the legislation: prior years of discussion about district consolidation; more than half of families who live in the Union boundaries choosing to enroll their children in other districts; and poor academic performance at the virtual schools."

The closure, which was wrapped into Senate Enrolled Act 1, has been signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Braun. And while this isn't the first time Indiana lawmakers have stepped in to help struggling schools, those instances included public notice and debate. Chris Lagoni, executive director of the Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association, "said this is the first time in 50 years a school district has been closed by state mandate," Fradette writes. "District leaders now wonder if the state is applying new academic expectations to justify future closures."

Some school officials believe the district's wealth and number of virtual learners may have pegged it for closure. Superintendent of Union Schools Galen Mast "believes Union was targeted in legislation because their virtual schools attract students from other districts and charter schools," Fradette explains. "In Indiana, state funding follows the student. So if a student leaves. . . there is less funding for the home district to cover academic programs and teacher pay."

Union school officials and supporters plan to legally challenge the closure. Mast told Fradette, “We've been here for 70 years. Our intent is to be here for another 70 years.”