Ball State Sets Appeals Dates For Imagine Schools
By: Andrew Logsdon
Updated: March 8, 2013
But say they're planning for their kids to go to school elsewhere this fall.
The Ball State charter school board set appeal hearings for April.
Parents say their kids have thrived at Imagine, and hope the board changes its mind.
"My youngest son was at a very low reading level, and he has jumped up to his grade level. And that was just in the first two semesters here at imagine this year," says Gail Ray, who has three kids at Imagine MASTer Academy.
Parents and grandparents told success stories about imagine master academy.
"I'd like her to stay here. They're teaching my granddaughter wonderfully. She's two grades ahead in third grade- she's got fifth grade math skills and reading skills," says grandfather Frank Richards.
But this school, and the Imagine schools on Broadway, are scheduled to lose their charter licenses at the end of the school year.
Ball State University announced in January they weren't renewing the schools' licenses because of low test scores.
Some parents say their kids excelled at imagine.
"Here, he does great! He gets good grades and everything. Loves his school," says grandparent Nora Grimes.
"And she thought maybe they'd get a better education here, because it was more one on one, and her son needed that," says grandparent Sally Ainslie.
Imagine Schools Regional Director Rachel Cirullo says test scores from this current year could show the schools have improved, and could sway the board to keep the schools open.
"We've taken the Equity Assesment, which is, it can be somewhat of a predictor of how you will do on ISTEP, and those are showing that we're definitely turning in the right direction," Cirullo says.
For now, parents say they're making other plans.
"They get home schooled! You're going to get home schooled? I don't know, that could be," says grandparent Jan Ward.
"We're already in the contingency stage of trying to find another school for her. We've got a couple in mind," Richards says.
The MASTer Academy's hearing is April fourth, and Imagine on Broadway is set for April sixteenth.
Officials say it can take ten days for a decision on if those schools are closing for good.


