Officials with Jackson County’s largest school corporation gave the public a first look at a proposed $52.45 million project to address student enrollment, which has risen nearly 25% over the past eight years.

About 35 people turned out for a community forum Wednesday in the auditorium at Seymour High School. The few who spoke had nothing but positive comments about the project that will transform Seymour Middle School Sixth Grade Center into an intermediate school for both fifth- and sixth-grade students and see major changes at Seymour High School.

One of the project’s main selling points is it won’t lead to a need to increase the present property tax rate of 76 cents per $100 of assessed value. That’s the lowest in the county and 30 cents lower than the state average. Brownstown Central Community School Corp.’s tax rate is 95 cents, Crothersville’s is 98 cents and Medora is 1.91. 

"I just think the tax-neutral piece is great," Ryon Wheeler said.

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Wheeler, who is the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Seymour, said from what he has learned of the project, it is great for the future of the community.

Mayor Matt Nicholson said he had the chance to review the project a few weeks ago.

"It looks like you have thoroughly thought it out," he told Seymour Community School Corp. officials.

Nicholson also said he appreciated the board looking at doing the project with no increase in the property tax rate.

"That’s huge for the community," he said.

The corporation had a record enrollment of 5,250 students this past school year and has the potential for 500 more within six years. That’s the major reason for the project, Superintendent Brandon Harpe said.

The project also will focus on improving the safety and security of those students, increasing accessibility to school facilities for people with disabilities and expanding opportunities for music, career and athletic programming.

"That’s one of the things we have talked about," Harpe said when asked by one attendee if there would be band for fifth-graders. "The opportunity is going to be so much more for those fifth-graders in terms of sports and clubs and music."

The discussions about band for fifth-graders, however, has not been made at this time.

Besides the sixth grade center and high school, money also is being invested to expand the Seymour Ag-Science and Research Farm, which was built in 2017 in the Freeman Field Industrial Park. The facility allows the district to offer additional graduation pathways and expand career and technical education opportunities for Seymour students and those from other districts in the future.

Seymour resident Kendra Zumhingst said she is really excited about the school and the improvements.

After an eight- to 10-month design phase, construction would begin in 2022 and take one and a half to two years to complete with fifth-graders starting at the new intermediate school in 2023.

Of SCSC’s 76-cent tax impact, about 31 cents will be eliminated in the next few years as the 20-year bonds for the Seymour-Redding and Seymour-Jackson elementary construction are paid off. The new project will replace around 28 cents of that debt. If approved by the school board, bonds will be issued later this year to fund construction.

Harpe said the project has been in the works for a number of years, and declining interest rates that have come with the COVID-19 pandemic are going to help the corporation quite a bit when it comes to the project.

"The pandemic is awful for school, obviously, but this may be a little bit of bright light and may help us a little bit with the project," he said. 

Assistant Superintendent Lisa Ferguson said school officials and the board are willing to accept input from the public about the project and make presentations about it to anyone who would like to see it.

"The more accurate information that is out there, the better it is for our community," she said. "So any time, we are willing to answer and address questions."

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For information about the project, you can contact the following:

Superintendent: Brandon Harpe [email protected]

Assistant superintendent: Lisa Ferguson [email protected]

Business manager: Steve Nauman [email protected]

There also will be a hearing on the project at 7 p.m. Aug. 11 during the board of trustees’ regular meeting and at 7 p.m. Aug. 13.

All school board email information can be found online at scsc.k12.in.us/school-board.

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