Indiana to appeal judge's student-count ruling

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Department of Education plans to appeal a ruling which found that it improperly counted students at five troubled schools taken over by the state.

Marion County Superior Court Judge Patrick McCarty ruled last month that the state improperly counted about 1,500 Indianapolis Public Schools students as registered at four schools that were taken over by the state, even though those students had transferred to other schools.

Those four schools and a fifth school in Gary are now being run by private groups.

Department of Education spokeswoman Stephanie Sample said Monday the agency intends to appeal the judge's recent ruling. She tells The Times of Munster the judgment applies to the section of law governing the entire state, meaning "it applies beyond just" Indianapolis Public Schools.