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Community group pitches county youth leadership academy; board asks for details before approval
Summary
Local partners outlined a new Blackford County Youth Leadership program that would enroll about 20–30 students and costs roughly $25,000 for the district’s first year; the board welcomed the idea but requested clarified staffing, selection criteria and a more detailed budget before taking action.
Community and economic-development partners presented a proposed Blackford County Youth Leadership program to the school board on July 21, saying the first-year effort would enroll about 20–30 students, run primarily during the school day with some evening sessions, and rely on curriculum and facilitation from Schaeffer Leadership Academy.
The presenter (speaker S5) described the effort as a community-funded investment in leadership development rather than an immediately measurable academic program, saying the program would pair one in-school teacher with outside facilitators and include a weekend retreat to launch the cohort. “We can have up to 30 students…there’s gonna be an application process,” S5 said, adding that $5,000 has already been deposited toward a $25,000 first-year budget and that the Blackford County Economic Development corporation has pledged possible additional support.
Board members asked practical questions about staffing, timing and selection. One board member (S7) said the program’s timeline looked tight and asked whether the schools had confirmed staff to participate; another (S3) asked for explicit selection criteria so the district can explain how students would be chosen and avoid perceptions of favoritism. “For the August meeting, we’ll try to come back with a clarified student selection process… and those things,” S3 said when asking staff to return with details.
Presenters said Schaeffer Leadership Academy would provide curriculum and carry most of the program operations in person, while the district would supply one teacher and some in‑school time. Board members also pressed presenters on comparative costs: materials presented from other districts showed per‑school fees as low as $11,000, while the proposal for Blackford listed $25,000 for the district’s first year; presenters said local partners were seeking additional contributors and that the county economic-development group could cover the gap if necessary.
The board took no vote. Trustees asked staff and the presenters to return in August with a clarified staffing plan, a final budget, selection criteria and more information about Schaeffer Leadership Academy so trustees can review the proposal before committing public resources.
