ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) – The superintendent of Northwest Allen County Schools spoke out Thursday on his concerns about school funding that has been proposed for the district.

Superintendent Wayne Barker sent a message letting the school district know about the current budget proposal that is set to be finalized Thursday night.

“I am very concerned about the budget runs shared yesterday and the impact this plan will have on public education,” Barker said.

The proposed budget calls for NACS to receive increases of 3.9% and 1.7% over the next two years. Barker said one reason he was concerned was because, in the prior Senate version of the budget, the increases were going to be higher.

“The abrupt decrease” was surprising, Barker said, because it followed the announcement of a forecasted $1.5 billion state revenue surplus, and the decreases were paired with large increases in funding to the state’s voucher program. 

Barker said NACS is currently funded at $557 below the state average per student, which only exacerbates a potential lack of funding in this upcoming budget.

“While I am being told this budget from last evening will be approved tonight, I will keep advocating for the children in our NACS community,” Barker said.