Results from the Indiana Department of Education Web site recently revealed Delphi Community Elementary School (DCES) did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress for the second straight year. The Federal No Child Left Behind Act mandates schools that do not meet the criteria must offer to send students of the school to a neighboring school within the district. If such a school is not available, a neighboring school corporation must be asked.

DCES did not meet AYP in the special education sub-category.

Delphi Community School Corporation Superintendent Ralph Walker recently sent a letter of explanation regarding school choice to parents of DCES students. The letter stated since there was no other elementary school in the district, he had asked "a neighboring school district" to accommodate any who requested to transfer.

The matter was discussed during a Carroll Consolidated School Corporation (CCSC) board meeting two weeks ago. Consensus by board members was that the school corporation was open to the idea. No formal decision was approved.

Walker said Tuesday he believes Carroll's board would vote to deny his request to accept transfers from DCES. He said he believes the matter was not discussed in great enough detail at the previous meeting for board members to understand the full implications of taking on transfer students. He said he would deny a similar request because of the consequences.

"If (CCSC) asked me, I would say no," Walker stated. "Just from the view of more expenses for teachers and possibly overloading our classrooms."

Walker said class size was an important factor when considering whether to accept more students.

"Our average class size is going to be about 20 to 24 students in DCES next year," he explained. "That's pretty much perfect. If I accepted children from other school districts, I would in essence be hurting our students because class sizes would increase."

Walker added the option to add students was risky due to variables such as total student registration.

"I view it as a risk if I were to be asked by Carroll because of all the unknowns," he said. "You don't know how many would cross over until registration."

Walker said the school district referred to in his letter of explanation was Twin Lakes School Corporation. He said that district was not currently accepting students.

Walker concluded federal regulations that all schools must make 100 percent AYP by 2012 was impossible. He predicted many more schools would fail as the deadline approached and criteria were raised. The rules, he said, were frustrating.

"Eventually everyone will not make AYP," he concluded. "We have to ask a neighboring school district to help us out. It's demeaning and punitive when the reason you don't attain is due to special education students."

According to a Tuesday Comet interview with CCSC Superintendent John Sayers, the board planned to address a transfer request from DCSC during its meeting that night.

"We do have a transfer policy in place which allows parents to request that their child attend CCSC," Sayers explained. "I do not know if any action will be taken. We will look at the availability of space and current number of students."

Though he could not be certain, Sayers said he thought CCSC could currently offer to allow some students to transfer there. He said the corporation's current transfer policy would remain in place.

"Based on current enrollment, only fifth and sixth grades will be available at this point," he stated. "It is not just a carte blanche, but it does look like it is very limited. We would not know for sure until fall enrollment."