JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- There are new calls for Jeffersonville to secede from the Greater Clark County school district.
This comes after the GCCS board approved $6 million in budget cuts, which will shutter two facilities in Jeffersonville: Bridgepoint Elementary and Corden Porter School.
Members of Jeffersonville's Redevelopment Commission aired frustrations during this week's meeting.
"If they try to close that school, there's going to be an attempt at a referendum for Jeffersonville to leave Greater Clark Schools," warned redevelopment board member Duard Avery. "If we close Bridgepoint, it's stupid."
In recent years, GCCS closed Jeffersonville's Maple and Spring Hill Elementary Schools. Students at those schools were moved to Bridgepoint and the new downtown Franklin Square Elementary. Under the latest round of cuts, 100 students from Bridgepoint will move into Franklin Square.
The city is concerned the move will put Jeffersonville's lone downtown elementary school close to capacity as the area experiences record residential and business growth.
"I've never felt more blindsided in my life," said Mayor Mike Moore, recalling a meeting with district leaders before cuts were announced. "All I heard was how fantastic things are going. This is b.s."
Nearly 300 apartment and condo units recently opened in downtown Jeffersonville. The city is in the top 5% of all communities in the United States for positive revenue growth, according to Moore.
"We are the only city donating money back to Greater Clark. We are the only city in Greater Clark that has seen four schools close within 15 months," he said. "Where is Charlestown in the conversation? Where is New Washington? I don't want to see bad come to them either, but nobody's even talking about (cutting schools) other than Jeffersonville."
GCCS school board member Teresa Perkins also serves on the redevelopment board. She said the state does not adequately fund the school district.
"We are overspending the money that we're taking in by several million dollars," said Perkins. "I invite any of you to look at our budgets and tell us where we can get $6.3 million dollars without closing schools."
Meanwhile, others in Jeffersonville start to consider another way of operating.
"Jeffersonville cannot suffer any more at the hands of Greater Clark," Avery said.
WDRB News reached out to GCCS for comment and did not receive a response as of Thursday night.
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