Gibault budget cuts & security updates

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - One Wabash Valley Rehabilitation center speaks out about state funding cuts and recent staff changes.

Gibault Children's Services located in Terre Haute says it's cutting its education budget.

Michele Madley, Interim President of Gibault says they've cut $350,000 from their education budget.

Madley says that budget cut will impact about 65 students and all Gibault staff members.

Madley says, "Our population changes on a pretty regular basis so everything that we do is based on census so if our census is low obviously we need less staff. If our census is higher we need additional staff."

Madley says three teachers lost their jobs, some retired or just simply left and never were replaced.

About seven more teachers will face pay cut due to a $750,000 cut in state funding.

That cut forced school leaders to cut their education budget.

"With a majority of the changes that occurred in the school; we were fortunate that we didn’t necessarily lay teachers off and we were able to just readjust to how the teachers were teaching or the programming was being conducted,” said Madley.

In all, Gibault faces about a million dollars in cuts.

But Madley on a more positive note says Gibault leaders say since changing their security and student walk-off policies; they haven't had a walk-off in months.

"The working relationship between the sheriff’s department has been the most important thing,” said Madley.

Madley says she and her staff now call police immediately the minute a child walks off, but so far with increased security measures, they've haven't had an issue.

"We appear to be all on the same page and that helps us to eliminate problems in the future hopefully."

Gibault officials say the budget cuts will likely not impact community safety.