Ball State University won’t renew the charters of seven schools in Gary, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Richmond for the 2013-14 academic year. The authorizer has been under scrutiny since a Stanford study concluded Indiana charter students would have made bigger gains over the last decade if not for a handful of low-performing schools authorized by Ball State.
All of the schools whose charters Ball State University didn’t renew received a D or an F in the state’s accountability system last year. But so did five of the 11 schools Ball State will continue to authorize.
Bob Marra, executive director of the Office of Charter Schools, says he believes these schools can be successful.
“What we have done is put in performance conditions to address those concerns. That’s why we gave them a shorter period of time.”
Marra says the decision to renew the charters came from the schools’ academic, financial and organizational performance.
Ball State didn’t renew the charters of Charter School of the Dunes and LEAD College Preparatory School in Gary; Imagine Indiana Life Sciences Academy-East in Indianapolis; Imagine MASTer Academy, Imagine Schools on Broadway and the Timothy L. Johnson Academy in Fort Wayne; and Kenneth A. Christmon STEMM Leadership Academy in Richmond.
Schools had the opportunity to present additional information to Ball State about student performance when they reapplied. At least one of those schools whose charter wasn’t renewed was surprised by Ball State’s decision. Michael Nickleson is president of the Board of Directors for the Timothy L. Johnson Academy.
“Our conversations with the university had not gone that way. We had in fact in October just recently talked with the university about our renewal for another three-year period.”
Schools have 10 days to appeal Ball State’s decision. Nickelson says his school will likely try to find a new sponsor.
Elle Moxley is a reporter for StateImpact Indiana.