Education Association, which brings steady federal updates and funding intelligence. • Statehouse coverage. Members receive weekly emailed bulletins that summarize legislative shifts and program opportunities. A recent note highlighted a “Mini Medical School Day” with the IU School of Medicine, opening pathways exploration for rural students. • Collective purchasing and cost curves. The association organizes group buys and special cost services, surfaces legal referrals to educationfocused firms, and curates a shared file of costsaving practices that members submit each week. • On-demand research. When districts need clarity on complex topics, the association runs the numbers. Recent work has covered school consolidation scenarios, debt profiles, tax rates, and assessed value per student, tying analysis back to policy proposals so districts can brief their boards and legislators with confidence. “We track policy at the Statehouse, track federal funding changes, and hunt for ways districts can save money and operate more efficiently,” Logani says.“Sometimes that is economics, sometimes that is statute, and often it is both.” ONE PERSON, MANY HATS The association’s staff list is short by choice.“There are three people, me, myself, and I,” Logani jokes. He reports to a board and runs the operation day to day, which keeps overhead low and responsiveness high. The structure puts dollars back into member value while relying on partners to extend reach where it matters most. PARTNERS THAT MULTIPLY IMPACT The association’s network includes Indiana Farm Bureau, which sits on the board and contributes data and analysis, and university partners such as Purdue University and Indiana Wesleyan University. Programming includes a spring conference and a new fall conference for teachers that are in planning. Collaborations with IU School of Medicine and the Rural Health Association aim to grow healthcare talent from rural communities for rural communities. 158 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 10
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx