More than 1,000 Monroe County students attend a school outside of the public school district in which they reside, according to a report released from the Indiana Department of Education.
The majority of the students who have transferred out of their home school district are enrolled at a charter or private school.
For Monroe County Community School Corp., 858 children living within the district go elsewhere: another traditional public school (208), charter school (454) or voucher-accepting private schools (196).
More than half of the students opting out of MCCSC attend a charter school, with 245 attending the Bloomington Project School and 89 attending Seven Oaks Classical School. All 196 students who attend to a private school use their vouchers at religious institutions, with the largest one being Lighthouse Christian Academy with 98 students. That number is up from the one reported last year by the state, which showed 173 students within MCCSC attend private schools.
In the Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corp., 313 students who live within the district attend schools outside the district. One hundred and forty-two attend other traditional public schools and 140 attend charter schools. Thirty-one students use school choice scholarships at Lighthouse Christian Academy (19), Clear Creek Christian School (3) and Tabernacle Christian School (9) — 10 fewer voucher-using students than reported last year. Of the transfers to public charter schools, 140 attend charter schools, including Seven Oaks Classical School (69) and The Bloomington Project School (25).
The data comes from a new state report that provides a breakdown of school districts and the number of children who transfer in or out of the district in which they reside.
This is the first Public Corporation Transfer Report, based on information collected by the state earlier this school year on Sept. 15, 2017. It does not show transfer information for any other year, or any losses or gains over time for school districts.