Morning Bell: Indy School Meetings, New Rules For School Lunch, Ivy Tech

Our Children, Our City: Public meetings, website offer forums for sharing views on future of Indy schools – “Mayor Greg Ballard’s office, in partnership with Indianapolis Public Schools, The Mind Trust and six community groups, has organized an elaborate effort to learn what Indianapolis residents want from schools. A news conference will be held Tuesday, and the first public meeting will be held Thursday.” Indianapolis Star

New rules for school lunches replace corndogs, hamburgers with beet sticks, lima beans – “Rowe can see the changes in a positive light because it makes schools offer students a wider variety of foods such as fresh beet or jicama sticks, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and a larger assortment of fruits and vegetables.” Evansville Courier & Press

Ivy Tech to take over city Public Safety Academy – “Mayor Tom Henry and Jerrilee Mosier, Ivy Tech Northeast chancellor, on Friday announced an agreement for the school to take control of the facility in 2013, while allowing the city to continue operating its police and fire training academies at the location.” Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

$400 Million Race to Top Contest for Districts Starts Now – “Federal officials threw out a proposal to require competing districts to implement performance evaluations of school board members, and raised the maximum grant amount for the largest districts to $40 million, from $25 million. In a nod to rural districts, the department lowered the number of students that must be served to 2,000 from 2,500 and is allowing a group of 10 districts to apply regardless of the number of students.” Education Week