Warren Township to reintegrate Renaissance alternative program into regular schools; board seeks monthly updates

The MSD Warren Township Board of Trustees on May 20 received a detailed plan to reintegrate the Renaissance alternative program into existing schools, shifting most students to full‑day schedules while adding therapists, counseling supports and individualized success plans.

Dr. Sullivan, who presented the proposal, said the district’s approach ‘‘with few exceptions, all Renaissance high school students will attend every school day from 09:00 to 2PM. Conversely, middle school students will also attend every day. They'll go from 07:15 to 2PM.’’ He said the move is intended to preserve specialized services while reducing isolation and increasing access to broader academic and extracurricular opportunities.

Why it matters: the change alters where—and how—students with complex academic or behavioral needs receive services. Reintegration affects transportation, counseling caseloads, athletics eligibility and classroom scheduling. Board members emphasized oversight needs before full implementation.

Key details from the presentation: students assigned to Renaissance will complete an intake enrollment with Jane Polley for therapeutic services; each student will have an Individual Success Plan (ISP) and a daily therapist placed at Creston and Warren Central High School. Renaissance staff currently in the program will transfer to the host schools, preserving staff continuity, and students who previously participated in CTE will retain access to career‑center programs where possible. Dr. Sullivan said the district will continue to apply annually for the Indiana Department of Education’s alternative grant that funds parts of the program.

Board members asked detailed questions. One member pressed whether the program includes explicit exit goals and milestones; Dr. Sullivan said ISPs will include measurable goals and that the district’s individual success plans ‘‘will go a step further and create goals based off of what the student is aiming to do’’ with milestones guiding transitions back to the home school.

Concerns about discipline and counseling also surfaced. A board member asked whether reintegration would lead to increased suspensions; district leaders said suspension is ‘‘never the first step’’ and that overall suspension rates are down. The district will use a continuum of supports and intends interventions before exclusionary discipline. On counseling, the presentation said Jane Polley (the contracted therapeutic partner) ‘‘gives us a unique opportunity where we don't have to be bottlenecked in with what type of insurance’’ and that each student will be encouraged to enroll in available therapeutic services while also maintaining access to familiar school counselors.

Logistics: the district expects dedicated buses for Renaissance students and staggered arrival/dismissal times so hallways do not overlap with traditional student traffic. The district plans to monitor conflicts in scheduling and said school staff recently met student‑by‑student to address placements and separation needs.

Next steps and oversight: board members requested monthly implementation updates during the initial roll‑out. Dr. Sullivan and principals said they will report progress and return before any major votes related to program structure.

The board did not take a final vote on the reintegration plan at the meeting; members asked for continued information and monitoring as the district moves toward implementation.