Board endorses Heritage Southwest ISD 2025-26 budget; ISD superintendent outlines plan for countywide CTE center

The Edwardsburg Public Schools Board of Education voted to adopt a resolution expressing support for the Heritage Southwest Intermediate School District(Heritage Southwest ISD) proposed 2025-26 budget after a presentation by Heritage Southwest ISD Superintendent Andy Hubbard.

Hubbard told the board the ISD budget covers preschool programming (GSRP), career and technical education, instructional services and countywide mental-health clinician positions that are not special education funded. He said the ISD's current-year numbers include one-time funds the ISD will not expect next year, including roughly $500,000 in CTE equipment funding, about $500,000 in Perkins CTE grants and about $300,000 tied to retirement payouts; the state also passed roughly $625,000 this year for a statewide social-emotional learning contract, he said. "Those were all one-time funds that we paid out this year that we will not be paying out next year and we won't be receiving the money for that either," Hubbard said.

Hubbard described a separate, long-range effort to create a countywide CTE center. The ISD is prepared to lead site identification and building fundraising and, if the ISD secures funding for land and construction, later seek an operational millage to run the facility. "An operational millage for CTE can, the maximum you can ask for is 1 mill county wide and for 20 years," Hubbard said. The ISD has hired an architectural firm to produce conceptual designs and a price tag, and a labor-market analysis by the Upjohn Institute helped the ISD identify an initial list of about eight programs to consider: software engineering; allied health (patient care, phlebotomy, pre-nursing); diesel and heavy-equipment technology; electrical technology (including pre-apprenticeship pathways); HVAC and refrigeration; plumbing; hospitality and culinary; and cosmetology. Hubbard said program lists will be revisited if the facility is constructed years from now.

Hubbard said a central location near Diamond Lake and the Smart Park area is preferred for equitable student access and reasonable transportation times. He added the ISD committee that developed the concept included about 40 people representing administrators, parents, teachers, board members and local business partners.

The board then heard a formal resolution citing section 6-24 of the Revised School Code and approved a motion to adopt a resolution expressing support for the ISD budget; the resolution directs the board secretary or designee to forward a certified copy to the ISD by June 1, 2025. The ISD center discussion was presented as informational and directional work by Hubbard; no formal district vote was recorded on building or millage campaigning during this meeting.

The board's adopted resolution was read into the record and carried on roll call. Board members directed the secretary to transmit the resolution to the ISD by the statutory deadline.

Whathappens next: Hubbard said the ISD will continue conceptual design work and fundraising; if funding for land and building is secured, the ISD would return to local districts before seeking a countywide operational millage.