Local high schools are named 'Best Buy' schools
Comet staff report

Hoosier high schools that have excelled academically while providing good value for Hoosier tax dollars were recognized last Wednesday by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce with the release of the ninth edition of the Indiana's Best Buys report.

Among the 136 public high schools named are Carroll Jr-Sr. High School, Delphi Community High School, and Rossville Senior High School. In addition to the Best Buy designation, DCHS is also recognized as an "honor roll" school.

The school study, which was presented by Indiana State University, examined 350 Indiana public high schools and, for the first time, charter schools with the appropriate available data. Using ISTEP+ pass rates, ISTEP+ Pass+ rates, graduation rates, SAT participation rates and average composite scores, and Advanced Placement (AP) passing scores, the Indiana Chamber developed a total school performance index for each school.

This index, called the school's quality index, was then compared to each school's total expenditures per pupil to determine "best buy" schools and to each school's at-risk student/poverty rate, as measured by participation in the federal free/reduced lunch program, to determine "honor roll" schools.

For 2007, 136 public high schools were designated as a "best buy" for giving taxpayers the most value for their money. Two methods determined this honor. A school was named a best buy if it had a quality index above the state median and expenditures below the statewide median of $10,196 per student. The second method was by having a quality index ranking that was 20% higher than the school's expenditures ranking.

In addition, from the best buy group, 31 high schools were given the "honor roll" distinction for excelling academically despite having at-risk student demographics above the statewide median. For their exemplary efforts, the top three schools from the best buy and honor roll lists were then selected as "head of the class" members.

The 2007 "head of the class" selections are: Adams Central High School, Adams County; Hauser Jr.-Sr. High School, Bartholomew County; Loogootee Jr.-Sr. High School, Martin County; Orleans Jr.-Sr. High School, Orange County; Signature School (charter high school), Vanderburgh County; and Western High School, Howard County.

"The Indiana's Best Buys report is about celebrating excellence and encouraging improvement. Indiana high schools have the necessary resources to be among the best in the world. However, to be the best, everyone must work at continuously analyzing, reforming and/or maintaining quality instructional programs. Those schools on this list are doing just that, and their communities are reaping the benefits," states Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar.

All data used in the Best Buys report was collected from Indiana Department of Education databases.

This year, the Indiana Chamber modified how it compared educational costs among schools. Capital projects and debt service funds were examined, along with the money received from the state's General Fund, to comprise a school's total expenditures per student. Previous Best Buy reports included General Fund revenues only.

"This adjustment was needed to provide an even more accurate picture of how wisely, or unwisely, tax dollars are being spent. We've been seeing an increase in use of these capital projects and debt service funds for standard operating costs - for such things as utilities or loans - and wanted to acknowledge that trend," says Brinegar. "Furthermore, with the widespread impact of high property tax bills on many Hoosiers, and acknowledging that local schools are a significant benefactor of that revenue, we felt it only appropriate to take a stricter look at school spending."

To view the Best Buys report visit www.indianachamber.com/bestbuys.