With about a 60 day process before they hear back from Ball State University on whether the proposed Otwell Miller Academy can be authorized as a charter school, the Friends of Otwell group optimistically submitted their proposal application this week.
Friends of Otwell representatives, President Mike Houtsch and VP Robert Rhodes, have announced that in this 200 page document application they included the modular examples of the portable school concept the charter school plans to begin with.
Williams Scotsman is the Kentucky based company that has been working with the Friends of Otwell group to generate preliminary plans for mobile classrooms. This company has been considered based on their affordability and expertise in constructing and setting-up mobile classrooms for other locations.
Now for the moment these modular plans are on hold pending the response the Friends of Otwell receives from Ball State University. So far the organization has obtained 140 students for their pre-registration outreach and they had only aimed for 100 to start-off with but are glad to see such a positive response from the community.
Friends of Otwell president Mike Houtsch says there are other elements to consider such as funding.
If authorized as a charter school the state could provide, Otwell Miller Academy, with around $5,000 per student enrolled. While the Friends of Otwell organization aims for a triumphant outcome once they hear from Ball State by the end of April, they did state that if their application is not considered they will try again.
