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A remonstrance against Warsaw School Corp.'s capital projects fund plan was denied last month by the state's Department of Local Government Finance.
According to the decision, issued Dec. 15 by Commissioner Beth H. Henkel, dates for the public hearing for the CPF were advertised in the Times-Union Aug. 6 and 13, and the hearing was held Aug. 18. Although the public had the opportunity to speak at that hearing, Henkel's decision said, "none of the 80 attendees of the public hearing offered comments on the proposed capital projects fund plan."
She continued: "The Department of Local Government Finance believes that taxpayers and school board should make primary decisions concerning the use of capital project funds within the school corporation so long as the decisions do not adversely affect the school corporation as a whole."
The objecting petition was denied and the CPF was approved.
A remonstrance against the $6,547,861 CPF for 2004 was filed last summer, and a hearing was held Oct. 8. Objections included charges that the tax rate for the CPF exceeds the maximum allowed by the state, and that expenditures in the fund - including fees for land acquisition, professional services, land improvement, building rental and maintenance - should not go through the CPF.
Dr. Dave McGuire, superintendent of Warsaw schools, said Monday of the DLGF decision, "Of course that's good news for us ... we're certainly happy. An adverse ruling would've been harmful to projects we want to do on behalf of kids."
Angela Fulton, member of the Concerned Citizens for Quality Education, said today, "We knew going into it there was a possibility it would be denied. ... It's still disappointing, because they didn't mention anything about the tax being too high."
In a related matter, a new judge has been appointed for the CCQE's lawsuit against Warsaw Community Schools.
The suit, filed Oct. 8 in Kosciusko Circuit Court, sought an injunction against closing Atwood, Claypool and Silver Lake schools at the end of the current school year.
In November, Circuit Court Judge Rex Reed recused himself from the case. In December, Judge Douglas B. Morton, of Fulton County Circuit Court, Rochester, was appointed to the case. No hearing date has yet been set.
