11 Indianapolis charter schools receive 15-year contracts

Eleven charter schools in Indianapolis have received 15-year contracts, beneficiaries of a new state law that allows authorizers to issue extended contracts to schools that meet authorizers' renewal standards.

The Indianapolis Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, which authorizes all these schools, gave them the extended contracts because of their “achievement over their past terms and strong plans for enduring sustainability,” a news release said.

The Purdue Polytechnic High Schools network, the Paramount Schools of Excellence network, the Herron Classical Schools network and the Goodwill Education Initiatives network received extensions.

The mayor’s office called the 15-year renewal the “Enduring Excellence” distinction and noted the four charter school networks have some of the highest academic outcomes for schools in the city.

“It is no secret that OEI’s portfolio includes some of the best schools not just in our city, but in the entire state,” said Patrick McAlister, director of OEI.

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Charter schools are public schools that are overseen by a self-appointed board and are created through a contract approved by one of multiple authorizers in Indiana.

The Indiana General Assembly in its most recent session passed a law extending the maximum charter authorization term from seven to 15 years.

For charters to be considered for the 15-year extension they must be in their seventh or final year of their contract or be a part of a charter network where at least one school is approaching renewal, the OEI office said.

The schools must also show they are meeting academic, finance, governance and external site visit evaluation criteria that the mayor’s office set.

The OEI office said they have consolidated network schools' renewals to cut down on redundancies.

Two newly approved charter schools that are set to open next school year that are part of the Purdue Polytechnic High School network and the Paramount Schools of Excellence network are authorized by a different authorizer other than the mayor's office and have not received 15-year terms.

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A new west-side campus for Purdue Polytechnic and the Girls IN STEM Academy created by the Paramount Schools network, both authorized by Education One, Trine University’s charter school authorization board, have seven-year terms.

The OEI office said they expect to transition all of their charter networks they oversee to this new consolidated renewal timeline in future renewal cycles.

The OEI office also renewed the charters for Avondale Meadows Middle School and the Indiana Math and Science Academy North for seven-year terms.

The following schools are now approved through 2039:

• Purdue Polytechnic High School Englewood (Purdue Polytechnic High Schools)
• Purdue Polytechnic High School Broad Ripple (Purdue Polytechnic High Schools)
• Paramount Brookside (Paramount Schools of Excellence)
• Paramount Cottage Home (Paramount Schools of Excellence)
• Paramount Englewood (Paramount Schools of Excellence)
• The Excel Center for Adult Learners (Goodwill Education Initiatives)
• The Excel Center West (Goodwill Education Initiatives)
• The Excel Center University Heights (Goodwill Education Initiatives)
• Herron Preparatory Academy (Herron Classical Schools)
• Herron High School (Herron Classical Schools)
• Herron-Riverside High School (Herron Classical Schools)

Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.

Caroline’s reporting is made possible by Report for America and Glick Philanthropies. As part of its work in Marion County, Glick Philanthropies partners with organizations focused on closing access and achievement gaps in education. 

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