More Ind. school takeovers possible with new rules

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Board of Education is considering new rules that could greatly expand the number of public schools subject to state takeover, a move that comes months after that was done for the first time.

The proposal could put more than 100 schools in 76 districts in jeopardy of takeover because of low student test scores and other factors. The board voted in August to put private operators in charge of four schools in Indianapolis and one in Gary.

The new rules are aimed at better identifying struggling schools and getting extra support and guidance to them more quickly, said Dale Chu, assistant superintendent of the state Department of Education.

“This is all about pre-empting schools from getting into that situation in the first place,” Chu told The Indianapolis Star for a story Thursday. “It gives them intervention earlier.”

Under the current rules, schools receiving an F in state ratings for six consecutive years can be taken over or subjected to other state actions. The new proposal calls for any school that received Fs in four consecutive years to be subject to takeover and so would any school that received any combination of Ds and Fs for five straight years.

The state board will have public hearings before deciding whether to approve the new rules for next school year.

The list of potential state takeovers would add urban schools in Indianapolis, Gary, Evansville and Fort Wayne along with schools in rural areas such as Waldron in the Shelby Eastern district and small towns such as Greensburg.

Jeff Butts, superintendent of the Wayne Township district in suburban Indianapolis, said the proposed changes would unfairly force school districts to scramble to turn around schools in a matter of months.

“When I know the rules, I can play the game,” Butts said. “I’m not as good when someone changes the rules in the middle of the game.”

The proposal would add a middle school in the Wayne Township district to the potential takeover list, which Butts said “took the wind out of my sails.”

Butts said he immediately redirected “every available person” to services for the school that he didn’t have money for this year. But to avoid the danger of takeover, he said he’ll spend money now and cut programs elsewhere later.