Parents brainstorm ideas to save TSC

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Parents who have children in the Tippecanoe School Corporation (TSC) met to brainstorm ideas and organize committees as a parent network to find ways to deal with an almost eight million dollar budget shortfall.

"I want to do more than just bake cookies at a bake sale for my kids' school and earn money," TSC parent network organizer Tamara House said. "I want to see if there is anything we can do immediately and anything we can continue to do on a long term basis to help make this better."

Parents said a parent group will provide organization which will be key in getting things done and seeing success.

"We have too many people doing too many different things," parent Wendy Starr said. "This will help us come together and work some things out. We probably all have similar ideas but we don't have a way to get those ideas together and organize it. I think this is a great opportunity."

TSC parent Angie Campbell agrees.

"Not just parents writing e-mails and writing they are mad about this or mad about that. We can come together collectively to figure out what we can do to help everybody," she said.

Sign up sheets for committees were placed on tables for parents to decide which one they could provide the most ideas. Some of the committees include tax referendum, finance, support with state legislators and a foundation for donations.

"Bridge the gap and try and see if we can, through five different committees we set up this evening, uncover every stone we possibly can and try to make it work so we are saving every teacher's job and we are saving our kids' programs," House explained.

A foundation for donations is something parents can act on quickly and continue to do.

"The Foundation could then be established then continue every year to grow and grow and grow. I think that the sky is the limit," House said.

"To go out there and solicit business and come up with creative ideas, whether it be art shows or different things like that to help save teachers and get through this," Campbell said.

The school board meets Wednesday at Harrison High School at 7:30 p.m. to decide where cuts will be made.