How Crawfordsville Schools Are Protecting Students, Programs

This week, we continue our conversation with Crawfordsville Community School Corporation Superintendent Rex Ryker as the district prepares for a future marked by funding cuts and rising costs. Superintendent Rex Ryker and his team are focused on one central question: How can the district continue to provide a high-quality education for every student, even as resources become scarcer? The answer, Ryker believes, lies in a combination of careful prioritization, community partnerships, and a steadfast commitment to the district’s core values.

One of the most important distinctions Ryker draws is between the funding that supports classroom instruction and the funding that keeps the lights on and the buses running. Thanks to the state’s decision to protect education funding, CCSC can continue to dedicate at least 65 percent of its education budget to teacher salaries and benefits. This has allowed the district to maintain strong programs in the fine arts, with band and choir enrollment holding steady or even increasing.

“Both band and choir are co-curricular activities supported by education funding, and booster clubs, ticket sales and donations cover additional expenses,” Ryker explains. In fact, the district’s commitment to the arts is so strong that it recently hired an additional band teacher to meet growing demand.

But not all programs are equally protected. Sports, for example, are considered extracurricular activities, meaning that education funding covers only coaching stipends. All other expenses—equipment, travel, uniforms—must be financed through ticket sales and the operations fund, which is facing a significant reduction.

“We will continue to develop students’ interest and skills through sports, but we will review sports expenses, as we did in 2008 when we streamlined middle school schedules and tightened team budgets,” Ryker says.

Every program, from summer school to custodial services, will be scrutinized for potential savings.

The district is also grappling with the sudden loss of some federal and state funds. CCSC was informed in June that it would not receive its expected Alternative Education funding, forcing the district to rely more heavily on partnerships with the Youth Service Bureau and neighboring schools to provide support for students who are not in the regular classroom due to disciplinary actions.

“We are grateful for our collaboration with the Youth Service Bureau and North and South, which has enabled us to offer a successful alternative education option for our students,” Ryker says. “Additionally, our Athens Virtual Academy has provided students with a successful school environment, reducing the number of students who need an in-person alternative education setting.”

Similarly, cuts to the state’s preschool voucher program have raised questions about the future of Willson Preschool Academy.

The expiration of federal ESSER funds, which were provided during the pandemic to support wraparound services, like mental health and social support, has also had an impact. Most of the positions created with those funds have been eliminated, though the district has managed to retain an additional licensed clinical social worker thanks to Medicaid reimbursement funding.

“We are engaging with community partners to explore potential partnerships that could provide our students with additional mental health services,” Ryker says. The district is also hopeful that Medicaid funding for school nurses and social workers will remain stable. (Since the interview, the federal bill that aimed to cut Medicaid has passed the Senate, which will affect rural communities and hospitals disproportionately.)

Despite these challenges, Ryker remains committed to the district’s mission of serving every student.

“We celebrate the diverse characteristics and needs of our student population. We have an expectation when we say we serve all of our students that ‘all means all,’” he says.

With students born in at least 16 countries and speaking 12 first languages, CCSC’s commitment to inclusion is more than just rhetoric—it is a guiding principle that shapes every decision the district makes. Programs in essential skills, career and technical education, college-bound curriculum, high ability programming, and gifted and talented education are all part of the district’s effort to meet students where they are and help them reach their full potential.

Ryker is also clear that the district’s current challenges are not the result of local mismanagement, but of broader legislative decisions.

“This is not an issue that Crawfordsville schools has done anything wrong fiscally,” he says. “We have to operate within the system that has been provided, but cutting our operations funding 20 percent when we already have one of the lowest assessed values per student in the state is going to be difficult.”

He encourages community members to voice their concerns to legislators and to stay engaged as the district navigates these changes.

Looking ahead, Ryker and his team are committed to a relentless focus on student success.

“We will collaborate with our Board of Trustees, teachers, experts, and community members to determine the best ways to utilize our fiscal resources while maintaining and enhancing our community’s investment in education,” he says. “We will look for ways to reduce expenses and explore opportunities to increase funding. Thank you for adding a voice to our community’s concern.”

In the end, Ryker believes that the strength of Crawfordsville lies in its people—the teachers, staff, families, and community members who are committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed. The path ahead may be uncertain, but with a shared sense of purpose and a willingness to adapt, CCSC is determined to meet the challenge head-on and continue providing an excellent education for all.

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