Change - Schools are changing

In 2008 the campaign theme that won was CHANGE, and citizens all over the country supported the call for change, some kind of change. That is one of the great things about our country, we change and mature as the years go by ... we have some basic elemental truths and then we innovate when challenges arise.

In Indiana 2008 was the year of change for local units of government, with 2,300 local government units focusing on cutting budgets to get their tax collections under the circuit breaker caps set in place by HEA 1001. The waves of innovation and even collaboration are still rolling across the state.

In 2009, change is coming for Indiana's schools and county governments. Due to HEA 1001 Indiana's schools get the lion's share of their budgets now from the state sales tax, not from property taxes. Seems innocuous on the surface, but not really. Property tax revenues gave school districts a much stronger ability to control who could attend or transfer. Some possible outcomes:

• Open enrollment could ensue, since the state is paying the tab, shouldn't an Indiana student be able to attend any school they desire?
  
• Competition between schools for academic and athletic superstars, since of course testing is now the main barometer of a school's success ... and perhaps even funding.
• Consolidation of smaller schools, one bill would mandate systems with less than 1,000 students, another would reach up to schools with less than 2,000. This changes the whole class system of sports doesn't it? Maybe a chance to get rid of class sports all together?
• Who will elect or appoint the school board? If open enrollment commences, who says the people in the formerly closed district should get to elect the board? Should the state have more say on local school boards since they are providing most of the money?
  
• In an environment of open competition for students, charter schools can get in the game. Look for some schools to eliminate sports (let private leagues do sports, we'll teach) decentralize campuses, and provide substantial college prep and college classes. If some 16 year olds can test out of freshman classes in partnership with Ivy Tech or Purdue or Ball State ... who says they have to care about Gym class instead.
• Could a private not for profit school, gain state funding to compete with the local school system, it is our money right? Why does the government get a monopoly?
  

Just thinking out loud, I'm sure I've stepped on an even number of toes. What changes do you see in the future for education in Indiana?