Growing school districts suing over funding

[IndianaGreen]

Growing school districts suing over funding

Posted: Feb 23, 2010 9:57 AM EST
Updated: Feb 23, 2010 3:44 PM EST
Rich Van Wyk/Eyewitness News

Hamilton County - Three school districts have filed a lawsuit arguing that the Indiana school funding formula is unconstitutional and penalizes growing districts.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in a Hamilton County court by lawyers for the Hamilton Southeastern district in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis.

The same year Indiana gave Indianapolis Public Schools more than $7,800 for each of its students, the lawsuit claims Hamilton Southeastern Schools received slightly more than $5,000 a student.

The state funding formula is so unequal that three schools districts are out to prove its unconstitutional.

"We are growing by 800 students and we don't have money to hire teachers," said Dr. Brian Smith, Hamilton Southeastern superintendent.

Middlebury in Elkhart County and Franklin Township Schools, two other growing districts, joined the lawsuit.

"The lack of uniformity in the school funding formula has punished us in the last decade," said Dr. Walter Bourke, Franklin Schools superintendent.

http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=12029420