Joppa – Massac Merger Room To Grow – Full WMOK Coffee Break 3.17.23

Janet Krueger and Ben Schmidt of Room to Grow joined us in the WMOK studio on Friday March 17th for Coffee Break to discuss the viewpoints of the group regarding the potential Joppa – Massac Annexation. The issue will be on the ballot in the April 4th election.

Krueger told WMOK that the group is putting the students first. Krueger cited that in looking at the feasibility study, the class offerings and the extra curricular activities at Massac Unit 1 that children definitely benefit.

Schmidt pointed out that the Joppa Maple Grove district is a victim of circumstance – the closure of EEI and the loss of enrollment. Schmidt went on to say that they have a great staff at both buildings in the Joppa Maple Grove district. Schmidt stressed the point that the districts will be better and stronger together.

During our discussion we addressed a question that Massac County Unit 1 Superintendent Jason Hayes advised us this week that he was hearing quite a bit:

Question:

Will the annexation of Joppa speed up the process of closing Franklin, Jefferson, Unity and building a new school?

Answer:

No. The annexation has absolutely nothing to do with the process or timeline of Massac Unit 1 building a new school and/or closing existing schools. This process and timeline for this project is solely dependent upon the school construction grant from the state. If and when the state legislature funds the school construction grant program, we will establish a timeline based on the application requirements within the grant program. More specifically, the annexation of Joppa will not provide any benefit to Massac Unit 1’s school construction plans.

Krueger discussed the length of time that the discussion of annexation of Joppa Maple Grove into a neighboring district has been discussed and the loss of enrollment for the Joppa Maple Grove School District. From 2017 – Maple Grove enrollment has dropped from 169 to 125 students, Joppa Jr High from 46 to 37 and Joppa High from 83 to 59. Krueger noted that the enrollment is what causes the district to not be able to offer programs such as band, choir and Spanish .. and the reason that they struggle to fill sports teams and have no offerings for students who are not interested in athletics.

Schmidt discussed the tax results of the EEI closure and the PILOT Program which will end in 2026. He advised that it is a misconception that there will be a loss of revenue to the district following the end of the PILOT program as the district will continue to get the amount that they will levy but the difference will be paid by taxpayers.

Krueger and Schmidt went on to discuss the emotions and nostalgia that are involved in the decision, the increase in pay for Joppa Maple Grove teachers should the annexation take place, class sizes and much more.

Hear our full discussion below: