Morning Bell: School Finances, Revoked Charters, Background Checks, ITT Stock

House Ways and Means Committee Considers Bill to Help Local Districts – “Without this extension, districts would have to divert (to the tune of $200 million statewide) general operating funds for these expenditures, which would cut into existing program and staff obligations.” Keep The Promise Indiana

School, parents push toward charter appeal – “Imagine MASTer Academy teachers and parents plan to fight to keep their school open.” Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Indiana Senators vote to require national background check for school employees – “Applicants for jobs at Indiana schools would pay more for a national background check under legislation approved 47-0 by the Senate on Thursday, but the sponsor believes it’s worth it.” Times of Northwest Indiana

Some crazy (or not) ideas about the next IPS superintendent – Tony Bennett is perhaps the craziest name on the list — “suppose for a second that the Florida post wasn’t sitting there waiting for him after the election. Could you imagine if he had been unemployed for literally 24 hours when the IPS superintendent job suddenly came open under this board?” — followed by Earl Phalen, Paul Vallas, FWCS’s Wendy Robinson, and others. Purely speculative, but interesting! Get On The Bus

IPS school board votes 5-1 to give Eugene White $619K buyout – Originally, district officials estimated the controversial superintendent‘s buyout could cost upwards of $800,000. Indy Star

CEO convinces investors that ITT is on the rebound – “For a guy who leads a company with stock that has lost 75 percent of its value in the past year, Kevin Modany, the CEO of Carmel-based ITT Educational Services Inc., sounds pretty upbeat.” Indianapolis Business Journal