Referendum Information
2019 Tax Rate Area Analysis
Current Needs
WRV REFERENDUM PRESENTATION 2019
* Referendum Update 2017
* CPF Facilities Update from 2015-December, 2017
* Farmland AV Impact--Purdue University Report
* Financial Update for General and Referendum Funds--August 7, 2017
* WRV Farmland Assessed Valuation Analysis--June 7,2017
The following information was presented to the community during our May, 2014 General Fund Operating Referendum:
Financial Situation Presentation
Tax History
Building needs and Law/Tax Information
Referendum Impact Calculator
Beacon
Questions from the Community
An open letter to the residents of the White River Valley School District–
One
of the things that sold me on coming to work at White River Valley
School District was the strong community support for our school system
and for our students. When the interim superintendent talked to me about
the superintendent’s position at WRV, he spoke of the great students
and the many good people in the area who take great pride in our school
communities. He also spoke of the many challenges that were facing our
district, and among all of the challenges that the financial health of
the district would need to be addressed immediately. In fact, he told me
that the Board would be cutting $350,000 of general fund expenditures
in the spring.
The Board of Education has been upfront and honest
in assessing the problems that currently face our school district. They
have challenged me to move forward to act in the best interests of our
students, while also being financially responsible in our actions. I am
challenging them to utilize all of our resources to get our
programs—academic and extra-curricular—to the point where our students
can compete with anyone. That should always be our ultimate goal…making
sure our students have the skills needed to be able to compete for jobs,
for the limited college entrance spots, for spots in vocational
programs or technology programs, and to put students in the position to
realize their dreams. I made two promises to the Board: #1 I would work
harder than any candidate that they could find otherwise and #2 I would
stand up and fight for our school system and the students who walk
through our school doors each and every day.
Now it is my belief
that the best way to represent our school community is to do so in a
transparent environment. The only way to solve problems is to put the
facts out on the table and get input. That’s why I hold my open hours in
the evening…to be accessible to our school patrons—all of them. It has
always been my philosophy to be available to folks…to listen to problems
and concerns and to find appropriate solutions. I have three great
young men of my own…but for the purposes of my profession I really have
814 children…for your children truly are my children. I have yet to meet
a parent who doesn’t want the best for his or her child. My family is
not unlike yours. It has a budget, and we have to live within that
budget. I am bringing the same type of philosophy to this position.
There are tough choices that have to be made; we can’t have everything
we always want. As a school community, we have to put the abilities to
get our kids competitive as a priority, while also being a responsible
steward of our resources. Our number one resource is our children. As
long as I am here to serve you, my number one priority is to ensure that
our students are competitive in our local community as well as in our
global economy.
My hero in life is my father. He passed away a few
years back. He was a great man. His father died when he was five, and
he worked through some awful and poverty-stricken problems in inner-city
Indianapolis to grow from a teenage boy working in the printer’s galley
to the company’s vice-president. He went back to school in his fifties
while working his full-time job to earn his college degree in teaching
because he felt it would better serve him in his position on the local
school board, a position he held for twelve years. He taught me about
the importance of working hard, the importance of valuing what one has,
and about treating people with respect and dignity. One of my dad’s
favorite sayings was: “Never wrestle with a pig; the pig will love it,
and you’ll just end up getting dirty.”
When dealing with the
financial health of the district, that means making tough choices. It
also means dealing in facts. Very soon, we will be putting together some
informational meetings for the public and any WRV school patron who has
an interest, a question, or a concern about our district’s finances.
Until then, I will give you factual information…not opinion, not in
argumentative form, not in hidden or multiple identities. I invite
anyone who has a question about these facts to come and see me. I might
not have all the answers, but I will know where to go or who to ask to
find them.
As someone who is new to the community, I have been
struck by the strong community pride that exists in the heart of Greene
County. We are facing some tremendous difficulties, but I am confident
that if everyone works together we can overcome our challenges and our
kids, our schools, and our community will all benefit.
The link
below will take you to a section on our school’s website that will
include information relevant to our finances and to our potential
referendum. You can add questions to our frequent questions section
through emailing me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Bob Hacker
WRV Schools