According to superintendent Jeff Swensson, Indiana State Senate Bill 189 concerning Performance Qualified School Designation legislation has passed through the Senate Education Committee.

According to the legislation, “Performance-qualified school districts are established to provide flexibility in administration and instruction to school corporations that meet certain established performance criteria so that the school corporations may provide curriculum, instruction, programs and educational innovations designed to engage students in achievement greater than the achievement required for the school corporations to be placed in the highest performance category or designation by the department.

Swensson, who testified on behalf of the bill, said the legislation met little opposition – only fielding concerns from the Indiana Press Association, who was concerned about the release of information regulated under the bill. Swensson said that this concern is likely to be addressed in an amendment.

According to Swensson, if passed, the legislation will provide “regulatory relief” from some state standards, including RISE standards.

“Senate Bill 189 (allows us to) design and implement (our) own evaluation system,” he said. “RISE is foundational: take its best parts and (then) we are in charge. Growing pains become gaining pains.

In addition to RISE, Senate Bill 189 would make this school district equal to charter schools in regard to “academic outcome and potential for excellence” – opening more freedoms for students, teachers and administrators alike.

“I think it would be a good thing,” sophomore Anna Katsis said. “I think that with our school size it would give us more power to say what we do rather than go along with all the state policies.”