Blackford County Schools

Elementary Consolidation Proposal

March 2nd, 2022

Dear BCS Families,

As previously shared, the Blackford County Schools Board of Trustees is considering a proposal to consolidate our three elementary schools. The proposal is structured as follows:

●       Northside Elementary School would become Blackford Primary School and serve all students in the district in grades K-2.

●       Blackford Intermediate School would serve all students in the district in grades 3-6, as well as preschool programming.

●       The Alternative School would move to the central office.

●       Montpelier Elementary School would close. 

Here are some of the frequently asked questions regarding the consolidation consideration.

Why is the Board considering closing Montpelier Elementary?

The current enrollment in grades K-6 at MES is 144, and has fallen drastically in the past several years.  We have two small kindergarten classes, and all other grades have just one classroom. This creates challenges in student grouping, teacher collaboration, the ability to offer extracurricular activities, and the ability to offer all elective classes for students. The space available at the other elementary schools is more than sufficient to ensure all students are in small classes and all programming can continue.

The distribution of students in our county and continuing decline of student population, along with the inefficiencies of operating a large, older building for a small number of students are factors in considering the closure of Montpelier Elementary School.

Why not close one of the Hartford City Elementary Schools instead of Montpelier?

BCS has two elementary attendance areas splitting the county almost exactly in half by land area.  Despite this, only 18% of the student population at the elementary level lives in the Montpelier Attendance area.  With 82% of our students living closer to Hartford City and space available in other elementary schools for all students, maintaining two elementary schools in Hartford City is operationally the most sound use of our current facilities. See chart below.

What is going to happen to class sizes?

BCS is proud of the elementary school class sizes in all of our elementary schools.  Here is a chart comparing the student/staff ratio of neighboring districts and BCS elementary schools.  All MES teachers and staff are going to be utilized in the new configuration, keeping class sizes ideal and lower than the majority of surrounding districts. We are committed to keeping small class sizes in this transition. 

How will transportation be impacted?

Here is a snapshot of our current transportation considerations for students in the Montpelier attendance area:

●       MES buses must arrive at MES before 7:30 a.m. because of the shuttle to BJSHS.

●       MES buses cannot leave MES until 3:30 p.m. because of the shuttle from BJSHS.

●       MES students have an extended day because of the shuttles.

●       The longest MES routes currently are slightly over 1 hour, but the shuttle adds 12-15 minutes for grades 7-12.

As we look at this proposal, we are committed to delivering an efficient, timely transportation system.  Here are the highlights of that planning:

●       Students will not switch buses.  The bus that picks up students at their stops or homes will deliver to all three schools.  This is our current practice in the Hartford City attendance area.

●       End of day routes for current MES students will start earlier as they will not wait on the shuttle.

●       Two Montpelier city routes, with minimal country stops, are planned and will have short total route times

●       For many rural students, the direct transportation to BPS and BIS will be similar to the ride to MES.  Because the need for the shuttle does not exist, the day will be shorter.

●       Country routes will be more evenly distributed.

●       We will survey Montpelier parents regarding the desire for an activity bus for 5th and 6th grade extracurricular activities. If need exists, we will provide a bus.

What if more parents choose to transfer their students to Southern Wells?

Over the past 5 years, the number of students in grades K-12 that live in Blackford County and attend Southern Wells has dropped from 136 to 110.  Even with the Southern Wells bussing initiative into Montpelier, the number of students choosing to leave the county has declined.  We understand that some parents may explore this option out of convenience or proximity, however we encourage parents to consider the opportunities BCS offers for our students, many that you will not find in other area schools. Here are some highlights:

We invite you to attend a public meeting of the Blackford County School Board at Montpelier Elementary School on Tuesday, March 8th at 6:00 to learn more about the consolidation planning.

Sincerely,

Chad Yencer

Superintendent

Blackford County Schools