The leader of the Perry Community School District points out the financial challenges with the loss of over 100 students mostly due to the Tyson Food Pork Plant closing down last year, but is hopeful that the new incoming companies will ramp that number back up.

Superintendent Clark Wicks tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the district has had a budget debt of $2.5 million for the past couple of years, and with the district losing 109 students last year, the debt increased. However, he points out that this fiscal year, the debt made a positive turn of being plus $91,000, so there is still a bit of a financial gap.

Wicks explains that the district is down 20 students for the current school year, but is proud of the effort from the administration, plus he feels optimistic about the additions of JBS USA and A.D.R. Axles Incorporated to bring more residents to live in Perry, meaning more kids will be going to school in the district.

“Thankfully with the teamwork of all the staff, everybody had to change, everybody had to make an adaption, everybody had to get their team attitude on. I think we’ve gone through the most difficult time and are looking for the future to get our enrollment back up to where it was when Tyson was here, and we had our businesses thriving.”

Wicks acknowledges that the Tyson closure, coupled with the shooting tragedy that both occurred last year, the new businesses coming to town are giving the community a breath of fresh air, and is confident that more students will fill the schools in the coming years.