Education One Board approves addition of two charter schools

The Education One at Trine University Board of Directors quarterly meeting was conducted Wednesday, Aug. 28. During this meeting, the Education One board voted in favor of approving two existing charter school applications, including Options Schools, Inc. and Invent Learning Hub, both for 15-year terms. 

Options Schools, Inc. has served students in grades 6-12 since 2002. Originally opened in Noblesville, the highly regarded alternative model has expanded to serve students in Westfield and Statewide, including ABA centers and virtual opportunities for students. Each of the three schools serves at-risk students in danger of not graduating high school. Options Schools, Inc.'s alternative model focuses on small class sizes, individually tailored plans, building strong relationships and providing extensive wrap-around services to help students overcome their barriers to success. Options' public hearing was highly attended, with overwhelming support from various community members, legislators, parents and educators.  

Invent Learning Hub has served Southeast Indianapolis students in grades K-8 since 2019. Its model focuses on educating students and families on STEM and Career pathways while integrating Social Emotional Learning and design thinking into the curriculum. ILH’s strong leadership capacity and knowledge of data to drive decisions were particularly praised by the application review team. Its online public comment form showed 100% favorability for the proposed school, including comments around the opportunities ILH provides students to be their best selves and grow in education.

Education One’s application process has seven major components and requires applicants to meet certain criteria to qualify for advancement into the next phase. Advancing applicants receive an in-depth academic, financial, operational and legal review of their written application, with a third-party financial and legal review.      

Both schools will now move into the pre-opening process with Education One. Lindsay Omlor, Executive Director of Charter Schools, expressed her excitement to begin working with both schools, “I’m thrilled to have the chance to work alongside such dedicated and talented teams that truly prioritize the needs of students.Their diligence and commitment to serving students was evident in their applications and make the opportunity to work with them all the more fulfilling.”  

To learn more about Education One and/or review these applications, please visit: https://www.trine.edu/education-one/