Otwell charter school application rejected but group encouraged to reapply

Bob Rhoades, vice-president of Friends of Otwell, the group that is trying to get a charter school placed in Otwell, reported Ball State University has rejected their application for a charter school.

Although hopes were high the first application would be approved and the new school fast-tracked to open this fall for classes, that is no longer a reality, but neither is the door completely closed. Rhoades explained the group has already started the reapplication process.

According to Rhoades, Dr. Robert Marra, executive director of Charter Schools at Ball State stated they were pleased that Friends of Otwell plans on reapplying for the charter again.

That appears to be a bright spot in the otherwise negative announcement.

Rhoades says that the points where the application was weak that prevented approval are not that difficult to correct. “None of them are insurmountable,” he explained. “They are all fixable. And the bottom line is in choosing the most expeditious workarounds that we can to move on.”

Rhoades said a preschool program is on track to open this fall separate from the charter school application.

He also said that all of their fundraising efforts for the charter school will continue. The goal is to raise enough money for a open the charter school in the fall of 2017.

The Friends of Otwell have had about 140 students sign up for the charter school through pre-enrollment. As for now, however, students at Otwell Elementary School will have to attend Pike County School Corporation for the 2016-7 school year, until Otwell Miller Academy gets final approval on a charter and can hold classes in the rural community in Pike County.