Charter School Plans To Locate In LSA(posted Mar 21) G. John Aytekin of Concept Schools announced the Indiana Math and Science Academy Charter School is coming 4575 W. 38th Street. Aytekin unveiled the plans to local community leaders on March 20, stating it is ready to recruit students for sixth through eighth grades. The school will ultimately enroll 525 students ranging from sixth grade through 12th grade at the former ToysRUs site. The curriculum emphasis is Math, Science and English to help students become college bound. Ball State University Charter School Program is sponsoring Indiana Math and Science Academy, but contracted with Concept Schools to operate the school’s daily functions. Ball State and the Indiana Department of Education will oversee the school's program. Ball State has the authority to dissolve the charter if it does not meet the academic performance as set out by the charter. A charter school is a public school that has flexibility to deviate from the DOE guidelines. Charter schools have no boundaries, so students from all over the state can apply for enrollment. Students must find their own transportation to attend because school bus transportation is not provided. Aytekin said the charter school does not want to create an adversarial relationship with Indianapolis Public Schools or the other traditional public schools even though it would be drawing students from IPS, Metropolitan School District of Pike Township, and Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township. Aytekin explained Concept Schools targets the urban area students to reverse the exodus flow to the suburbs. Urban areas deteriorate as more families flee for the suburbs in search of quality education. The school will receive tax dollar funding, but about half the amount as compared to IPS. Aytekin said the academy should receive about $7,000 per student in tax dollars. The teachers' salaries are half the traditional public school system. Concept Schools do not offer tenure. Each teacher’s contract is based on year-to-year performance. The teacher’s responsibility includes free tutoring, field trips, home visits with parents, and Saturday tutoring classes as well. Aytekin said the school functions are similar to regular public schools with a school board that is subject to open meetings. The board members are Reverend Kent Millard of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Jeanette Moore, Nancy Spohn, Patricia Bacon, Linda Pratt and Tim Nation. The board of directors meets the last Thursday of the month at 5: 30 p.m. in St. Luke’s United Methodist Church at 100 W. 86th Street. He did acknowledge that the Walton Family Foundation has initially given the school a $230,000 grant. Tin-Tjah Wynne, Haughville Librarian, thought the charter school could benefit many of the students in the area. The school’s mission is to educate urban students with college preparatory curriculum. These students normally would not have had a chance to enter a post secondary learning institution. The announcement of IMAS makes this the second charter school to open within a mile of the city’s charter school. Dan Roy, representing the Indianapolis Charter School Board, did not think the IMAS would be in direct competition with the city’s approved Honor Academy Charter Elementary School scheduled to open at 3440 Guion Road. The Metropolitan Development Commission granted the rezoning petition March 21, changing the land from residential to special use. He said there would be some overlapping between the schools. Honor Academy Charter Elementary School is targeting students from Kindergarten through eighth grade For more information about the IMAS call 985-4672 or aytekins@gomail.com |
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G. John Aytekin will serve as the principal starting when the charter school doors open in August 2007.