By TARA HETTINGER
SELLERSBURG — Principal Sara Hauselman finally heard the words she waited for more than a year to hear.
Rock Creek Christian Academy was approved to become a free, public charter school — to be renamed Rock Creek Community Academy — opening in the fall.
“It’s a great relief, because it’s been going on and on and on,” Hauselman said. “It’s just wonderful news. Wonderful news. It’s exciting.”
This is the second time the school has gone through the process with Ball State University, the only university in the state that gives charters to schools.
In March, Rock Creek was initially denied. However, school administrators resubmitted their application after making some changes and were approved this week.
“The transition will be we’ll go from a Christian school to a public school,” Hauselman said. “We know what we have to do. We have to make some changes to the building, which will be made after school is out this year,” she said, adding that few changes are needed in the curriculum, to follow state standards.
Instead of religion, as a charter school Rock Creek will focus on the 40 Developmental Assets, as defined by the Search Institute, which include honesty, integrity and self-esteem. Hauselman said it will take a lot of professional development time to get teachers up to speed with the new focus.
Larry Gabbert, director of the Office of Charter Schools with BSU, said the school will not be alone during this process. He said Laurie Serak will be a field representative assigned to help the school transition in time to open in fall. He said she will be able to help make sure that any icons with religious connotations are removed prior to school starting.
Gabbert said he is pleased the university’s president approved the charter for Rock Creek.
“We feel like it’s a solid group of people who are experienced in working with schools,” he said. “The program looks well-developed and they have a facility already and there appears to be a demand for the school.”
He said 100 people spoke at a public meeting about the school in December, all saying that they wanted another public school option in the area.
The school, which had 169 students in 2008-09, according to the Indiana Department of Education, is expected to grow. Hauselman said the charter school will be able to take up to 395 students.
“We will not be surprised if we reach that,” she said.
Open enrollment for about a three-week period will start soon, but Hauselman wasn’t sure on the exact dates.
She said if the 395 total isn’t reached at that point, the school will have more open enrollment periods. Hauselman said all open enrollment dates will be announced via advertisements in The Evening News.
Rock Creek and Community Montessori, in New Albany, are the only charter schools in Clark and Floyd counties.
