Eastern Pulaski Schools Increases Enrollment by 42 Students

To school systems around the state, the Average Daily Membership (ADM) figures are important because enrollment is a factor in how much money schools get in their funding.

At the Eastern Pulaski School Corporation in Winamac, Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman says they have picked up a number of new students this school year and that increase has been through school choice.

“The thing that I’m very proud of is that enough families from outside of our District and that are close enough to come here are doing so,” said Dr. Klitzman. “We increased, through school choice, about 60 students. With mobility and people moving out, the net increase is 42.”

We asked Dr. Klitzman if most of those students “of choice” are coming in from Tippecanoe Township.

“Most of the students that transferred are from Tippecanoe Township,” he replied. “Years and years ago when all of this was designed in terms of school districts, all you have to do is look at some maps and say, ‘What in the world were they doing in drawing things up the way they did?’ They had their reasons. They were good reasons, but Tippecanoe Township is Pulaski County. We’re Eastern Pulaski Schools and so there’s that one chunk of Tippecanoe Township that is cut out; otherwise, that whole sector would be a nice square for Eastern Pulaski Schools.”

For reasons that Dr. Klitzman didn’t give, the Culver Community School District is made up of townships in four counties. North Bend goes into the school district from Starke County. There’s a township in Fulton County and Marshall County where Culver sits, and then there’s Tippecanoe Township in Pulaski County.

Because of the closing of the Monterey Elementary School, an organized effort is being conducted to pull away from the Culver School District, and attach to Eastern Pulaski. A petition drive is being conducted.

Culver officials are aware that the petition drive is being conducted, but until there is a formal request to withdraw from the District they are only saying that they will address it if and when the time comes.