Local democratic leaders voice opposition against SB 248, state-appointed South Bend School Board
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- The future of the South Bend School Board now lies in the hands of state legislators.
Senate Bill 248, proposed by Republican State Senator Linda Rogers, would replace the elected school board members with a state-appointed panel chosen by the Secretary of Education.
School board members and many others are speaking out against the bill, which would only impact South Bend Community Schools.
On Tuesday, Saint Joseph County Democrats voiced fierce opposition to the bill.
"It is unjust, unacceptable, and immoral," says Don Westerhausen, St. Joseph County Democratic Party Chair.
Essentially, the bill would remove South Bend School Board elections as a whole.
"Families have participated in school board elections because those elections matter," explains Rudy Monterrosa, German Township Advisory Board member and former SBCSC Board of Trustee. "They are how parents and taxpayers vote to make their voices heard."
"I find it interesting that it's coming from people who are voted in, but they want to take our rights away from voting for the school board, don't you find that strange," asks Alma Powell, former South Bend educator and principal.
Picking apart the legislation, they say there are more questions than answers.
A nine-person commission would make up the group responsible for nominating school board members.
On that commission would be representatives from the St. Joseph County Commissioners, Ivy Tech Community College Board, and the local Home Builders' Association, just to name a few.
"Are we to rely on the expertise of the South Bend Area Realtors Association on this? Or the Homebuilders Association? If these are the folks that are sitting on the solutions to these problems, then where have they been," asks Jason Critchlow, Portage Township Trustee. "Where are their candidates for school board?"
Their biggest question is how would the state appointees know what's best for South Bend students?
"The education of our most vulnerable students is at stake because Senate Bill 248 is a power grab," says Sherry Bolden-Simpson, South Bend Common Council District 5.
"South Bend parents know what's best for South Bend children," Critchlow says. "South Bend voters know what's best for South Bend schools."
Current president of the South Bend School Board, Stuart Greene, has hope though.
He says Senator Rogers has been actively communicating with Superintendent Mansour Eid as recently as two days ago.
"Mansour Eid was able to tell our story," says Stuart Greene, South Bend School Board President. "I think the kind of way we move forward, it's so relational. It's easy to look at data, and data can be pretty faceless."
ABC57 has made attempts to speak with Senator Linda Rogers about the bill but has not yet heard back.
SB 248 is scheduled to be heard with public testimony before the Senate Education and Career Development Committee Wednesday at the statehouse. No vote is expected.