Superintendent reports stable special-education counts, strong graduation rates; flags education bills to watch
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Summary
Superintendent reported district special-education enrollment at 353 for the December count and highlighted strong four-year graduation rates — Northfield 100%, Southwood 98.28%, Weitz 77.04% — and summarized several pending state bills that could affect district policy and revenue.
The district’s superintendent (unnamed in the record) told the board on Jan. 7 that the district’s December special-education final count stood at 353 students, down from 360 at the same point last year. The superintendent presented the December figure as the count that is tied to state funding, with a second, informational count scheduled for February.
The superintendent also reviewed four-year graduation rates released by the Indiana Department of Education: Northfield 100%, Southwood High School 98.28% (the meeting noted that difference equated to one student), and Weitz 77.04%. The superintendent said the district’s multi-year improvement in graduation rates is a sign that targeted supports and programs are producing results.
On legislation, the superintendent said roughly 700 bills had been filed this session, including about 73 that pertain to K–12 education. He highlighted House Bill 1034 and Senate Bill 78 — described in the meeting as stricter measures on student cell-phone policies — and House Bill 1258, which would allow county councils to adopt a local income tax to help replace revenue following a 2027 sunset provision. The superintendent emphasized that adoption of any county-level local income tax would require county-council action and that the bills remain subject to change.
The superintendent framed the waiver to reduce the 180-day requirement (discussed separately in the meeting) as part of instructional improvement strategy: four professional-development days would count toward state requirements and allow teachers time for focused in-person training. The board approved the waiver resolution and staff will submit the application to the Indiana Department of Education for approval.
What’s next: The district will submit the waiver application to the Indiana Department of Education and continue to monitor bills that could affect district funding and policy.
Sources: Superintendent remarks, board packet references.