Article by Emily Wang, White River Now
In Monday evening’s Batesville School District Community Meeting at the Batesville Aquatics and Community Center, Superintendent Dr. Ken James addressed various topics, shedding light on the district’s current status and future plans. With a designated time for questions and answers, the meeting aimed to foster transparency and engage the community in discussions vital to the district’s well-being.
James began by expressing gratitude for the attendees’ presence and emphasized the importance of community involvement in shaping the district’s trajectory. He highlighted his personal connection to Batesville, having been born here, and underscored his commitment to the district’s success, rooted in care for the community and its children.
The meeting delved into pressing issues, including declining enrollment, financial challenges, academic performance, and infrastructure projects.
Student Enrollment Decline
James candidly addressed the district’s enrollment decline, revealing a loss of 55 students. This has led to a $470,000 reduction in revenue. To mitigate this, the district has initiated cost-cutting measures, including eliminating 14 positions across the district.
“This is not a cycle you want to be in. In education — you do not want to be losing kids,” James told the crowd. “School districts do not stay in operation if they are losing kids year after year. We are looking at every position.”
He continued to note the severity of the loss if the pattern continues in the future.
“If we lose another 50 or 60 kids next year, this will be much more serious. We will have to reduce more staff. You are hearing from me today what’s going to have to happen next year. It’s not any path a school district wants to go down.”
With the 14 positions cut across the district, James shared five are at the district office.
“The district office has to lead that charge,” James said. “We want to keep cuts as far away from the classroom as we can. Fourteen positions translates to $800,000 in deductions. That’s where we have to begin.”
Construction Project
Another focal point of concern was the construction project — initially estimated at $25 million, the cost increased to $49 million in 2023, and now stands at $47.7 million due to recently made cuts. James shared that the completion date is December 2025.
Though the project will lack certain amenities at the time of completion, James reassured these things could be phased in as funds become available.
During the question and answer section, James also noted a new bus facility was off the table due to cost issues.
Technology
James touched on the use of technology in the classroom, including the use of Chromebooks for assignments. The superintendent said he understands the need to use the laptops as a tool, but he said as a whole, students should heavily rely for classroom instruction and interaction.
“We will be looking at Chromebooks. Technology is a tool of instruction,” James said. “It’s (a Chromebook) not the instructor. The teacher is the instructor. If, in the classroom, giving assignments on Chromebook is all they’ve done, the teacher-student interaction is gone. I’m not saying that’s happening in every classroom, but I predict it is happening in different places.”
Academic Achievement
Academically, the district faces challenges, reflected in its grades — which Dr. James deemed unacceptable for Batesville. However, he commended the dedication of staff and emphasized the imperative of elevating academic standards.
James highlighted recent achievements of Batesville students, including one National Merit Finalist, one Gates Scholar, Distinguished Governor’s Scholarship recipients, and 17 high school students who scored over 30 out of 36 on their ACT exam.
“That tells you good things are going on,” he said. “Those are the things we need to continue to celebrate.”
James reiterated the importance of community support in addressing the district’s challenges and emphasized the need for open communication and collaboration.
One question during the Q&A section focused on how Batesville can attract more students, particularly after losing 55.
“We have to stop beating ourselves up,” James said. “Every district has problems. We’ve got to do our best to make sure we are taking care of every problem we can and talk about good things going on, positive things — not smoke in mirrors. Enough spin cycle. We have to make sure we are providing the best educational opportunities we can. We go into the education business to serve kids. If you don’t want to, you’re in the wrong business. I’ve said to staff I’ve talked to, ‘If you don’t want to be here, (then) it is translated to the classroom if you are unhappy.’ Kids are sharp. They can tell if you are happy being there. We’ve got to do that and make sure we have a strong curriculum.
“You can get on the bus. We’ve got to get people on the right seat on the bus, pulling this thing together, and talk about the positives going on in the school district. Every district has problems; not everyone washes the laundry in public. We’ve had some of that going on. That doesn’t help us. It drives people away sometimes. I think that is probably what has happened over the last few years — we’ve lost that connectivity we had. This is a close-knit community. We’ve got to work together to make it all happen. Do that, and things can change pretty quickly. I’m not about problems. I’m about solving issues.”
Looking ahead, James affirmed his contract commitment to the district until June 2025, and he emphasized the necessity of community involvement in shaping the district’s future. He urged community members to actively participate in supporting the district’s endeavors, stressing that collective efforts are vital to realizing positive outcomes.
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