BLOOMINGTON — The Monroe County Community School Corporation has postponed a merger between Childs and Templeton Elementary Schools that was set to begin for the 2025-26 school year.
The decision came at the board's Tuesday night meeting. Board members were concerned with the planning timeline, which remains in the early stages.
Dr. Markay Winston, the district's interim superintendent, originally had until the end of 2024 to submit the final plan for the merger to the Indiana Department of Education, however the district said they have the option to extend the deadline.
The goal of the merger, which was approved by the board in April, is to consolidate the two schools based on socio-economic status and to address concerns over a disparity in recourse availability at the two schools. Students pre-K through second grade would transition to Childs Elementary, and third through sixth grade would transition to Templeton Elementary. Both would be done over a three-year period.
According to MCCSC, a school’s socioeconomic status is calculated by the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. The district reported that 72% of Templeton students qualify for the program, but only 9% of Childs students do.
