Pike County School Corporation approves referendum wording; teachers urge pause on admin hires as corrective-action deadlines loom

Pike County, Ind. — The Pike County School Corporation board on June 9 approved wording for an operating referendum that, if approved by voters, would allow a maximum annual levy of $2.2 million and impose a rate not to exceed 25 cents — an increase an estimated $149 per year for a homeowner with a $150,000 median-valued property.

Board finance staff reviewed current balances (combined bank balances reported as $1,296,539.77), fund balances (education $210,315; operations $676,980; rainy day fund $14,942) and recent revenue receipts (a CVET/FIT deposit of $40,327). Staff also summarized a corrective-action update requested by the DOAB and the need to submit an updated Plan B by Aug. 4 and present it again in September or October.

The board reviewed and approved the referendum question wording, which will be submitted to the courthouse if the board proceeds; staff noted the official question must be submitted by Aug. 1 noon. The board approved the wording by motion and voice/hand vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the public record.

Public commenters — many of them teachers or teacher-association representatives — urged the board to consider additional cost-saving steps before filling high-level administrative positions. Courtney Loveless, membership chair for the teachers association, asked the board to "pause hiring for this position" and reminded the board that the corporation had successfully operated without an assistant superintendent from 2013 to 2019 as a cost-cutting measure. Candy Meyer, a 25-year teacher, said Pike County’s central-office expenditures are high compared with peer districts while starting-teacher pay lags other districts.

Board presenters also outlined potential balancing measures discussed in corrective-action planning: an early-retirement incentive that produced two retirements and a savings of $168,734; attrition and absorbed positions claimed to save roughly $913,490; software savings of $50,000; and the possibility of selling the Outwell property (statutory minimum sale price referenced at $512,000). Officials told the board that a successful referendum could add about $2.2 million in annual operating revenue.

The meeting also covered other budget-related actions: approval of vouchers (22196–22334), acceptance of donations, approval of an insurance renewal option (recommended option two with a $100 million per-occurrence cap), and approval of routine personnel resignations and appointments. The board approved a motion to proceed with replacement of the Pike Central gym roof (auditorium deferred because of increased decking costs) and to replace a failed VCU3 HVAC unit at Pike Central Middle School with a standalone unit to avoid a costly ongoing monitoring contract.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the superintendent contract as presented, accepted the assistant superintendent resignation, appointed Aaron Meyer to serve as assistant superintendent effective July 1, approved referendum wording for potential placement on the ballot, approved the gym roof replacement and the HVAC replacement, approved vouchers and routine personnel items, and accepted donations and fundraiser requests. Recorded roll-call tallies were not provided for these motions in the transcript.

What happens next: If the board proceeds, staff must submit the official referendum question and spending plan to the courthouse and DLGF by Aug. 1; the DOAB-updated corrective-action Plan B is due Aug. 4 and will be re-presented in fall meetings. Public commenters said they will continue to press for prioritizing classroom positions and clearer alignment of administrative and teacher compensation and leave policies.