A view of the entrance to Indiana Premium Outlets in Edinburgh, Ind., Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
Republic file photo
A new charter school is being proposed in Edinburgh and the public is invited to comment Monday.
Leaders from Options Charter School are considering opening a location in a storefront at Edinburgh Premium Outlets. The charter school, which started in 2002 and has locations in Westfield and Noblesville, is an alternative school meant for students who are struggling in the traditional school setting.
Feedback from the public hearing will give school officials a chance to address any comments or concerns, and will inform a decision from Ball State University’s charter review committee, the authorizer for the charter school, on whether to approve the new location, said Bob Marr, executive director of the office of charter schools at Ball State.
“As the executive director, I make the recommendation to the Ball State Charter School Review Committee, and they would make the final decision,” he said. “If people say ‘no,’ I would have to listen to why and how many people, and that’s what will happen (Monday).”
Signage will be put up inside the mall so people know where to go for the 5 p.m. meeting, which will be located near the mall’s offices, he said.
Aside from public feedback, Marr also considers what other schools are in the area and at the potential makeup of the school board.
“We look at if the board (for the school) has people with some legal or financial background and is made up of people from the local area,” Marr said. “The next thing we look at is finance, usually the most problems a school will have is establishing a building and getting quality teachers and staff. We look at their curriculum, and then we’re looking for community support, is this needed for the area? Is this different from other schools in the area?”
The new school could replace the Simon Youth Academy alternative school that closed its location at the mall about two years ago. Leaders from the Simon Youth Foundation asked Options Charter School to start a program there, said Mike Gustin, president and CEO of Options Charter School.
“We specialize in working with kids who have some challenges presented to them that present a barrier to graduation ..,” Gustin said. “The types of students we work with have barriers such as moderate to severe autism or other special needs, chronic medical issues or emotional issues. They might have trouble in the traditional school setting, maybe they are being bullied or the pace of school is overwhelming for them.”
The school would be limited to 30 students in 11th through 12th grade, and leaders from Options would work with counselors from surrounding school districts, who would refer students who they think would have a better chance at graduating by attending Options, he said.
County school districts, such as Edinburgh, Franklin and Indian Creek schools, would be close enough to send students there, Gustin said.
As a charter school, Options receives public funding but has the flexibility to design its own curriculum. If the charter review committee approves Options’ proposal, school officials would look to start programs at the mall sometime in September, he said.
Editor’s note: Corrections were made to this article reflecting the locations of Options’ other schools and the grade levels that would be educated at the school.
