New charter schools approved

Ball State University approved three charters for new schools to open this year and in 2010.

One school, Hammond Academy for Science and Technology, is slated to open in Hammond in 2010.
The school will offer grades six through nine with a grade added each year until it offers grades 6-12. About 320 students are expected to enroll the first year.

A second school. Discovery Charter School, will serve students in K-6 and is slated to also open in fall 2010. The school plans a place-based curriculum that incorporates an environmental education. No location has been selected but the school likely will be in the Duneland or Chesterton area.

The third school, The International School of Columbus, is expected to open in 2009 and could serve 300 students in grades 7-9. The school will offer the rigorous International Baccalaureate Program.
Ball State sponsors 29 schools in all.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard approved two new charter schools.

One school, the Indiana Aerospace Junior-Senior High School, will be housed at the Indianapolis Aviation Technology Center at the Indianapolis International Airport. About 70 seventh-graders will be accepted for the 2010 year.

The second school, the Paramount School of Excellence, expects to enroll 465 students in grades K-5 and to open next year. It will be located near Brookside Park.

The mayor’s office also took over as authorizer of Irvington Community School, an Indianapolis elementary charter school that had been sponsored by Ball State. Irvington school officials said the switch was done so it could be part of the same office that sponsors most other Indianapolis charter schools. In addition, the school will save the 3 percent of revenue fee Ball State charges charter schools but which the mayor’s office does not.

The mayor’s office now sponsors 21 charter schools.