| When I was in high school, I attended the only high | | | | Schools administrators, teachers, and even |
| school our town had. A one-high school town, our | | | | Indianapolis Schools parents are trying hard to |
| school was home to every 14-18 year old in | | | | improve the education given to high school students. |
| residence. My senior year, there were about 250 of | | | | And small schools, such as the ones present in |
| us graduating. I thought that was a lot; but I still at | | | | Indianapolis Schools, are meeting this need. |
| least knew everyone's name, even if I wasn't friends | | | | In Indianapolis Schools, school systems are trying |
| with them all. Looking back, our school wasn't that big | | | | very hard to personalize their students' education, |
| compared to some; the name of every person in my | | | | through the use of "Small Schools". A small school is |
| graduating class fit on the back of the Prom T-shirt! I | | | | typically located on a regular Indianapolis Schools |
| never thought of my school as small; it seemed big | | | | campus and shares common areas with other small |
| to my small-town eyes. With approximately 1,000 | | | | schools housed on the same location. Cafeteria, |
| students, our campus had 4 classroom wings (a 5th | | | | gymnasiums, and media centers are used by all |
| one was added in my junior year), a music building, a | | | | students. One Indianapolis Schools campus may |
| gym, library, office, cafeteria, weight room, tennis | | | | house up to four or even five different small schools. |
| courts, football fields, and baseball diamonds. We | | | | These Indianapolis Schools offer a more intimate |
| even had a barn, for the FFA kids (Future Farmers | | | | learning environment that is better able to address |
| of America) and their livestock. This was my world, | | | | the needs of students, staff and parents. Each of |
| and one which I quite honestly wanted to get out of | | | | these smaller Indianapolis Schools has an enrollment |
| as soon as possible. While the size of our school was | | | | of no more than 400 students. They all offer both |
| really on the small side, it was big to us; but I guess | | | | core classes (English, math, social studies and science) |
| it's all relative to our own experiences. | | | | as well as electives. The needs of all students - |
| These days (I only graduated about 15 years ago, | | | | special education as well as general education - are |
| thank you very much), Indianapolis Schools have | | | | addressed. The purpose of these small schools within |
| grown. Even my old high school has grown so much | | | | Indianapolis Schools is to improve students' academic, |
| that I barely recognize it. (It's still the only high school | | | | social and behavioral performance, to reduce the |
| in town!) In fact, high schools are huge! With | | | | dropout rate, and to connect students in a more |
| enrollments at Indiana and Indianapolis Schools at low | | | | personal way with the Indianapolis Schools they are |
| of around 1,200 students and as high as 2,000 or | | | | attending. |
| more, schools are full to bursting. Indianapolis Public | | | | |