Board member warns short legislative session may squeeze small schools; urges community contact lawmakers

Dylan, a board member, told the Union School Corporation school board that the short state legislative session will likely focus on virtual education, its funding and apparent efficiency debates — developments he said could worsen budget pressure on small schools.

Dylan gave several updates to the board, including athletic program notes (elementary and middle school boys' camps and Saturday sessions), and a reminder that district policies and meeting documents will be consolidated on the district web page and BoardDocs for public access. He asked community members to contact legislators and said the board plans to publish a public list showing which legislators voted in ways the board views as harmful to small schools and who attended school board training.

On the legislative outlook, Dylan said members of the legislature who voted for Senate Bill 1 were responsible for votes that could lead to school closures; he urged constituents to speak with their representatives and invited legislators to visit the district. "If you have a legislator that lives in your area, they voted yes for Senate Bill 1," he said. "Come see that our school is just like yours."

Dylan framed the short session as an election year and a compressed schedule, predicting fewer highly controversial bills but concern about measures that could be implemented quietly. He cited examples of budget cuts in neighboring districts as evidence of potential impacts on athletics and programs and asked the community to stay engaged.

The board did not take formal action on the legislative issues during the meeting; Dylan's remarks were provided as an informational update and a call to community engagement. The meeting record does not include further board directives or a formal vote related to the legislative matters.