Elkhart Community Schools Announces Plans to Consolidate

ELKHART, Ind.–Elkhart Community Schools is battling both financial challenges and declining enrollment. In a State of the District address Wednesday night, Superintendent Dr. Larry Huff spoke both about the district’s progress, but also spoke about the need for consolidation.

He said the effects of Senate Bill 1 going into law mean less money for the district, which means they have to think more creatively.

“We have approximately… 29 buildings, 23 buildings that we’re using, but we have 29 entities inside of those buildings. They’re designed to hold 17,000 students; we have 10,100 students. That is almost a 40 percent difference. The district has to do something because you cannot continue to operate in the same manner or there will not be the district that you love and you remember,” said Dr. Huff.

In 2028, Huff said they must begin sharing part of their operation fund with school districts that receive a hundred or more of Elkhart students, like charter schools.

Huff also remarked that the district is currently utilizing only 58% of the 371 elementary classrooms.

Any move that gets made will not get made without community and parental input, said Huff.

“Getting your feedback is critical because then I will present… a protocol on which will be used to determine which schools would be the ones we consider for consolidation… all that is happening and it’s happening now. Next month through January, probably in late November, I will come to the school board and I will make a recommendation of these schools, these are the ones we should look at… and then we’ll make a decision… we will make sure to communicate these decisions through our website, directly to you, and by having these meetings,” said Huff.

Huff said there were accomplishments across the board to celebrate including having the leading career center in Indiana and a graduation rate that keeps going up.

Huff says all of this is broken down into three phases:

Phase One: Plan and Engage.

Phase Two: Policy and Discussion lasting from Oct-Nov

Phase Three: Implement and Support, from Feb-Aug 2026.

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