New FWCS rating no cause to celebrate

Official numbers aren’t yet known, but it appears a smaller enrollment loss at Fort Wayne Community Schools places the district ahead of Indianapolis Public Schools as Indiana’s largest public school district. Fort Wayne officials aren’t celebrating, however.

“Nobody in our school district should take anything positive from another public school district losing students,” FWCS board President Mark GiaQuinta said. “I don’t see us as being in competition for the title of largest. It concerns me that they are losing students, and I hope that they end that and reverse it quickly. I’ve really stressed that we rise as public school districts together.”

Indianapolis Public Schools issued a statement announcing enrollment of 30,128, about 1,500 students fewer than last year. FWCS spokeswoman Krista Stockman said Fort Wayne’s enrollment is 30,622. That figure is about 370 fewer than a year ago, but just 27 students fewer than the end of the last school year.

FWCS picked up more students from charter schools than it lost, in spite of two new charter schools opening this fall. Stockman said the district had a net gain of 10 students from charter schools, with 164 students returning from the for-profit Imagine Inc.-operated schools.

GiaQuinta conceded that the district’s status as the state’s largest provides a platform for demonstrating how the school board, administration and teachers have worked together to improve and remain competitive.

“If it draws attention to how we’re faring against the charter schools – great,” he said. “That, in turn, will help IPS. Just as we have to remind people that we have greater challenges with students from poverty, we have to remember they have far greater challenges.”