Wednesday, August 18, 1999
Indiana transfer students can cash in
Lawrenceburg schools offer $1K incentives
BY SARA J. BENNETT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LAWRENCEBURG — In a twist on the school voucher concept, an Indiana district is using private funds to attract students to public schools.
The Lawrenceburg Schools Foundation, formed to handle riverboat gambling money and other donations benefiting the Lawrenceburg Community School Corp., is offering $20,000 in stipends — $1,000 per student — to defray transfer costs for those who don't live in the district but want to attend its middle school or high school.
The offer not only gives parents a break, paying about a third of the cost of transferring a student to Lawrenceburg, it also benefits the district. The 20 new students who could be attracted would be included in enrollment counts used to determine state funding.
The new stipend comes at a time when citizens and lawmakers are debating the use of state funds to help pay private school tuition. Earlier this month, opponents of Ohio's school vouch er program filed a federal lawsuit claiming as unconstitutional the use of taxpayer-funded scholarships for low-income Cleveland students to attend private and religious schools.
Lawrenceburg's stipend, which turns the voucher concept on its ear, is unusual, say Indiana and Ohio officials.
“It's not something I hear of as common practice in Ohio schools,” said LeeAnne Rogers, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Education, adding that foundations like Lawrenceburg's are not common in Ohio.
Such organizations are prevalent in Indiana, said Stu Huffman, spokesman for the Indiana Department of Education. What's uncommon is how Lawrenceburg's foundation is using its funds.
“We know of no other similar situation in the state,” he said. “It's a unique situation that the riverboat gamblers are being allowed to help the Lawrenceburg Community School Corporation attract students.”
Located on the Ohio River in Dearborn County, the Lawrenceburg district has one grade school, middle school and high school. Enrollment this year is nearly 1,540.
The Lawrenceburg Schools Foundation was formed in 1997 to receive and manage Lawrenceburg schools' share of money generated by Argosy riverboat casinos. The independent, nonprofit organization funds a variety of things for the district, from music stands and athletic equipment to scholarships for graduating seniors, said Robert Wood, foundation president and school board member.
The new stipends were created to attract out-of-district students who want a smaller school or who may be attending private schools in Ohio or Kentucky. Students in neighboring districts who live closer to Lawrenceburg schools also may be attracted.
Each year, the corporation receives calls from parents interested in transferring students, said Superintendent Todd Rudnick, who also serves on the foundation board. Occasionally, parents are daunted by the transfer fee, which essentially covers taxes they would pay if they lived in the district.
Determined each year by a state formula, the cost of transferring to Greendale Middle School is about $2,800, said corporation Treasurer Craig Bernius. A transfer to Lawrenceburg High School costs about $3,000.
The 20 $1,000 transfer stipends are available to any out-of-district Indiana student in grades 6 to 12. Nearly 10 parents already have expressed interest, Mr. Rudnick says.
They may enjoy a lightened burden on their wallets, but the real winner may be the Lawrenceburg Community School Corp., Mr. Huffman said.
More students, he points out, means more money.
“By our rough calculation,” he said, “we figure the school corporation stands to have a positive cash inflow of $75,000 to $80,000 a year, assuming they're able to find 20 students who think Lawrenceburg schools are better than the schools they're attending.”
HOW IT WORKS
• The Lawrenceburg Schools Foundation, formed to handle riverboat gambling money and other donations benefiting the Lawrenceburg Community School Corporation, is offering $20,000 in stipends to defray transfer costs for those who don't live in the district but want to attend its middle school or high school.
• The 20 $1,000 transfer stipends are available to any out-of-district Indiana student in grades 6-12.
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