Topic: Teachers College
July 8, 2009
Ball State has authorized a new public charter school in Chesterton that will open in fall 2010.
President Jo Ann M. Gora has approved the sponsorship of Discovery Charter School after further review of the proposal, including additional community input, and receiving a recommendation from the Office of Charter Schools.
Discovery Charter School will serve grades K-6 with a projected initial enrollment of 273 and will add a grade each year until it reaches grades K-8. Students will learn to become better stewards of their environment and community and will engage in educational experiences through an integrated place-based and environmentally based curriculum.
In 2001, the Indiana General Assembly approved legislation allowing four-year public universities, public school districts and the mayor of Indianapolis to sponsor charter schools. Ball State is the only university authorizing charter schools in Indiana.
The university sponsors 28 public charter schools currently in operation across Indiana, with four scheduled to open in 2009 and four more in 2010.
As a public charter schools authorizer, Ball State does not run the schools but reserves the right to rescind a charter if a school fails to meet performance standards.
By Anthony Romano, Video Specialist and Media Relations Manager