State Funding May Be Available To Attend LCA
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
LCA has applied to participate in the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program, according to administrator and principal Joy Lavender. The school is waiting to hear from the state if they’ve been accepted to the program.
The program, enacted in May by the state and effective today, provides scholarships to lower-income Indiana families for their children to attend a school of choice. The program provides scholarships to eligible students by using a portion of the state funds allocated for that child to follow them to the non-public school of their choice, according to information provided by Lavender.
In the first year, there is a cap of 7,500 scholarships. In the second year, there is a 15,000 cap.
Lavender said for a student to be eligible for the program, they must have been in a public school for the two semesters prior to the semester in which they will receive the scholarship. Kindergarten doesn’t count. They also must be in the federal Free and Reduced Lunch program.
Families below the Free and Reduced Lunch income guidelines are eligible to receive a scholarship for 90 percent of state tuition support, based on the funding level in their school district of residence. This income level is approximately $40,000 for a family of four.
Warsaw Community School’s funding level is about $5,500 per student.
Families below 150 percent of the income guidelines are eligible to receive a scholarship for 50 percent of state tuition support. This income level is about $60,000 for a family of four.
The scholarship amount will be the lesser of tuition and fees or the applicable percentage of the state tuition support in the school district of residence, according to Lavender’s provided information. However, the cap for first through eighth grade is tuition or $4,500, whichever is least.
If a family has two children, but they can only send one to LCA for financial reasons, Lavender said, the scholarship program would help the family to send the second child to LCA, too.
The Indiana Department of Education has been encouraging and cooperative, she said.
“They are careful in preserving the foundations of what private schools want to do,” Lavender said.
Even to apply for the scholarship, the student has to be accepted to the private school first, she said. Any student who has applied to and accepted by LCA can begin applying for the scholarship program July 10, she said.
“What I really appreciate about the Department of Education is, we don’t have to take students with a voucher. They have to be accepted by us even before they apply for the voucher. That protects us and what we stand for,” Lavender said.
Families can apply to LCA on its website at www.lcacougars.com
For LCA to be able to accept the scholarships, there is a list of stuff the school has to do, Lavender said.
An American flag must be hung in the school. The school must teach about state and U.S. government and the election process. Historical documents must be available in the school library.
Private schools accepting the scholarships must give the ISTEP test and End of Course Assessments to its students.
LCA also will have to report its graduation rates and student count figures to the state.
“It’s not a problem for us,” Lavender said of the requirements. “We see it as a good thing as ours (graduation rate, test scores) are outstanding.
“I’m excited for our parents. I think it’s awesome some of their tax money can be used for school choice.”
Lavender said it’s too early to tell how many students will make use of the scholarship program to attend LCA if LCA is accepted to the program.
“We are not at full building capacity,” she said. “If they meet our other enrollment criteria, I’m not sure why we couldn’t take anyone that applies.”
LCA’s building capacity is 300 to 350.
If more students apply to LCA than the school has room, the state requires the school to conduct a lottery, but discrimination based on race, color or national origin is prohibited. Lavender said LCA would probably take siblings and children of alumni first in the process. The state requires that participating schools specify how they would conduct the lottery.
LCA is not limited to students in Kosciusko County. Lavender said they’ve had families in the past where their students stay with other families so they can attend the school. The school’s students have come from North Manchester, Columbia City, Knox and Syracuse among other places.
Once the state confirms that LCA is a participating school in the program, LCA will have a meeting in July for anyone interested in applying for the scholarship program.
If any new student enrolls at LCA this year who was in a public school for two prior semesters, Lavender said they will be sent a letter about the scholarship program.
Besides the scholarship program, LCA also has payment options and their own scholarships available. LCA’s current tuition is about $6,300 per year.
“Once they receive a voucher, as long as we can verify their income, they can stay (on the program),” Lavender said.
LCA will verify income through the Free and Reduced Lunch program. If a family is not in that program, LCA has a third vendor to check income.
LCA is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and the North Central Association.
The school includes grades 7 through 12th, and its graduation rate is about 100 percent. ISTEP scores are above the state and national average, Lavender reported. LCA graduates get into colleges and universities like Taylor, Butler, Purdue, Ball State, Rose-Hulman, Grace and Indiana.
There is a total of 21 teachers and staff. All teachers teach in their field of accreditation.
LCA is a member of the Indiana High School Athletic Association and the Indiana Non-Public Education Association.
“We serve 50 churches, but we’re not affiliated with any particular church. We have a statement of faith parents are required to sign, but we’re not affiliated with any one church,” Lavender said.
She said the school has a community service program. Every other week, students go out into the community and provide community service for several hours.
Started in 1974, LCA is in its 11th year at its current facilities at 1093 S. CR 250E, Winona Lake.
For more information, email Lavender at [email protected] The office is closed in July, but a person can call 574-267-7265 and leave a message and someone will get back to them.[[In-content Ad]]
LCA has applied to participate in the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program, according to administrator and principal Joy Lavender. The school is waiting to hear from the state if they’ve been accepted to the program.
The program, enacted in May by the state and effective today, provides scholarships to lower-income Indiana families for their children to attend a school of choice. The program provides scholarships to eligible students by using a portion of the state funds allocated for that child to follow them to the non-public school of their choice, according to information provided by Lavender.
In the first year, there is a cap of 7,500 scholarships. In the second year, there is a 15,000 cap.
Lavender said for a student to be eligible for the program, they must have been in a public school for the two semesters prior to the semester in which they will receive the scholarship. Kindergarten doesn’t count. They also must be in the federal Free and Reduced Lunch program.
Families below the Free and Reduced Lunch income guidelines are eligible to receive a scholarship for 90 percent of state tuition support, based on the funding level in their school district of residence. This income level is approximately $40,000 for a family of four.
Warsaw Community School’s funding level is about $5,500 per student.
Families below 150 percent of the income guidelines are eligible to receive a scholarship for 50 percent of state tuition support. This income level is about $60,000 for a family of four.
The scholarship amount will be the lesser of tuition and fees or the applicable percentage of the state tuition support in the school district of residence, according to Lavender’s provided information. However, the cap for first through eighth grade is tuition or $4,500, whichever is least.
If a family has two children, but they can only send one to LCA for financial reasons, Lavender said, the scholarship program would help the family to send the second child to LCA, too.
The Indiana Department of Education has been encouraging and cooperative, she said.
“They are careful in preserving the foundations of what private schools want to do,” Lavender said.
Even to apply for the scholarship, the student has to be accepted to the private school first, she said. Any student who has applied to and accepted by LCA can begin applying for the scholarship program July 10, she said.
“What I really appreciate about the Department of Education is, we don’t have to take students with a voucher. They have to be accepted by us even before they apply for the voucher. That protects us and what we stand for,” Lavender said.
Families can apply to LCA on its website at www.lcacougars.com
For LCA to be able to accept the scholarships, there is a list of stuff the school has to do, Lavender said.
An American flag must be hung in the school. The school must teach about state and U.S. government and the election process. Historical documents must be available in the school library.
Private schools accepting the scholarships must give the ISTEP test and End of Course Assessments to its students.
LCA also will have to report its graduation rates and student count figures to the state.
“It’s not a problem for us,” Lavender said of the requirements. “We see it as a good thing as ours (graduation rate, test scores) are outstanding.
“I’m excited for our parents. I think it’s awesome some of their tax money can be used for school choice.”
Lavender said it’s too early to tell how many students will make use of the scholarship program to attend LCA if LCA is accepted to the program.
“We are not at full building capacity,” she said. “If they meet our other enrollment criteria, I’m not sure why we couldn’t take anyone that applies.”
LCA’s building capacity is 300 to 350.
If more students apply to LCA than the school has room, the state requires the school to conduct a lottery, but discrimination based on race, color or national origin is prohibited. Lavender said LCA would probably take siblings and children of alumni first in the process. The state requires that participating schools specify how they would conduct the lottery.
LCA is not limited to students in Kosciusko County. Lavender said they’ve had families in the past where their students stay with other families so they can attend the school. The school’s students have come from North Manchester, Columbia City, Knox and Syracuse among other places.
Once the state confirms that LCA is a participating school in the program, LCA will have a meeting in July for anyone interested in applying for the scholarship program.
If any new student enrolls at LCA this year who was in a public school for two prior semesters, Lavender said they will be sent a letter about the scholarship program.
Besides the scholarship program, LCA also has payment options and their own scholarships available. LCA’s current tuition is about $6,300 per year.
“Once they receive a voucher, as long as we can verify their income, they can stay (on the program),” Lavender said.
LCA will verify income through the Free and Reduced Lunch program. If a family is not in that program, LCA has a third vendor to check income.
LCA is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and the North Central Association.
The school includes grades 7 through 12th, and its graduation rate is about 100 percent. ISTEP scores are above the state and national average, Lavender reported. LCA graduates get into colleges and universities like Taylor, Butler, Purdue, Ball State, Rose-Hulman, Grace and Indiana.
There is a total of 21 teachers and staff. All teachers teach in their field of accreditation.
LCA is a member of the Indiana High School Athletic Association and the Indiana Non-Public Education Association.
“We serve 50 churches, but we’re not affiliated with any particular church. We have a statement of faith parents are required to sign, but we’re not affiliated with any one church,” Lavender said.
She said the school has a community service program. Every other week, students go out into the community and provide community service for several hours.
Started in 1974, LCA is in its 11th year at its current facilities at 1093 S. CR 250E, Winona Lake.
For more information, email Lavender at [email protected] The office is closed in July, but a person can call 574-267-7265 and leave a message and someone will get back to them.[[In-content Ad]]
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