Ball State gave its blessing and sponsorship to seven charter schools Wednesday, making it the first university in Indiana to sponsor such organizations.
Charter schools are non-profit entities that operate like public schools and are subject to the same laws. The schools, however, are given more independence when designing their curriculum and operate under a specific charter.
A brief description of the schools can be found at the Daily News Web site, www.bsudailynews.com. The following are the schools chosen, along with their locations, grades they serve, and projected enrollment:
n Campagna Academy Charter School, Schererville, 11 and 12, 16 students.
n Charter School of the Dunes, Gary, K-5, adding a grade each year up to 8th grade, up to 675 students.
n Veritas Academy, South Bend, K-5, adding a grade each year up to 8th grade, 90 students in three years.
n Timothy L. Johnson Academy, Fort Wayne, K-5, adding a grade each year up to 8th grade, up to 357 students.
n Irvington Community School, Indianapolis, K-5, adding a grade each year until 12th grade, 200 students by the third year.
n New Community School, West Lafayette, K-7, eventually adding 8th grade, 54 students in three years.
n Community Montessori, Inc., Floyds Knobs, K-6 in three years, 157 students in three years.
Now that the university is a sponsor, Ball State will monitor their seven applicants regularly to ensure they comply with their charters and state and federal laws, said Roy Weaver, dean of the Teachers College.
Weaver said the Charter School Office is deliberating about exactly how Ball State will monitor the schools in the coming year.
"It is our responsibility not only to monitor but respond in an appropriate way if schools are not making their goals," Weaver said.
In return, Ball State will receive about three percent of the funding charter schools receive from state and local governments.
Miller, citing statistics from the Indiana Department of Education, said the schools should receive an average of between $5,500 and $6,500 per student. Enrollment, according to Miller, could be as high as 554 students total.
According to Ken Miller, assistant the to dean, the three percent should cover any costs accrued from monitoring the schools.
Miller was also a member of the review team responsible for nominating schools. He said the seven that were accepted had strong ties with the community, a variety of programs and an individualized focus.
"Most of them have the basics of education," Miller said. "Where they differ is in their delivery system."
The process of whittling down 24 candidates to the final seven took about six months. Six of the finalists are scheduled to open this fall.
During the six months Ball State reviewed the candidates, Ball State raised the ire of the superintendent of Fort Wayne Community Schools, Thomas Fowler-Finn.
Finn initially said he would bar Ball State student teachers from his schools because of the competition charter schools would create within the district.
Fowler-Finn eventually took a different stance. In a letter sent to Weaver on Oct. 18, Fowler-Finn said he would accept Ball State student teachers. He asked, though, that they be supervised by Indiana University-Purdue University of Fort Wayne.
"My response was, and still is, people who come to Ball State want Ball State," he said.
Because of this, Weaver said no Ball State student teachers will be enrolled at any Fort Wayne Community Schools. Weaver said he has found other schools for them in the surrounding area.
Charter schools have been a controversial issue since they were allowed in Indiana. Opponents have argued that, by using state and local funds to finance charter schools, a few are benefited at the expense of many.
According to the Associated Press, for each child that attends a charter school, the local school district loses state tuition money, even if the child attended a private school or was home-schooled the previous year.
The debate over charter-school funding was once again revived on Feb. 28. A bill that would have given charter schools funding at the beginning of the school year failed to receive the needed majority of votes in the Indiana Senate.
Now, charter schools will not receive any funding until January.
According to Miller, the bill's defeat should not hinder Ball State's schools, though he and members of the schools said the money would be helpful.
"It's huge to not have that funding right away," said Nancy Knightly, chairwoman of the Charter School of the Dunes.
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