From: J.D. Cask
Columbus
I read in the July 20 Republic that Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. is once again asking for TIF funds for three educational programs. The programs are iGrad, STEM education and transition planning for special needs students. The programs the funds are requested for are worthy programs, but the proper funding is not found in TIF funds.
According to Indiana Code 36-7-25-7, acceptable educational programs for TIF funding are: worker training programs, worker retraining programs and any other program designed to prepare individuals to participate in the competitive and global economy. The code is very vague by design, but it seems to me that the meaning of “educational programs” is based in worker training and retraining.
The programs that BCSC is seeking funding for support the needs of education and not worker training or retraining. These programs should be funded through educational funds, not TIF funds.
