RCHS has a unique ability to earn money through Career and Technical Education (CTE) funding that we receive from the State due to the programming we can bring to our school.
Our Admin team has worked hard to develop programs that:
-Promote a targeted and individualized educational path
-Rush County has deemed to be in high demand
-Give students the opportunity to build their own future in Rush County
-Provide certifications that make students employable right after graduation
-Work as a funding source for the entire corporation.
This is just a portion of the state funding that we have increased in the past three years. As you can see from the chart, because of the 8 new programs that we have started in three years, we have seen a 140% increase in CTE Funding. From $250,000 the year before I arrived to a projected $600,000 this school year.
This funding does NOT just go back into the programs. These funds are deposited each year into the Education Fund to help support ALL District teachers.
Over many years, we have sent students to Whitewater Career Center to participate in many of their amazing programs. This has been an extremely beneficial partnership for our kids. However, this does come at a cost. We pay a tuition fee for each student and only receive a portion of that back in State CTE funding. Although well worth it, it does cost the corporation to send kids to WCC.
This brings me to the advantage of starting some of our own programs. CTE programs that we have started have cost the corporation $0 in tuition. We are able to gain revenue from in-house programs and generate money for the corporation.
At RCHS, we value data because it shows our trends from year to year. I have shown you the overall trend in State Funding brought in at RCHS, which has increased by $750,000 that goes directly toward all teacher raises in the corporation from the new programming at RCHS in just 3 years.
Now, here is a list of key things to look at when assessing a school:
Attendance Rate (94% or higher)
Graduation Rate
Dual Credit courses passed
SAT Performance
Diploma Strength
I want to focus on school-wide attendance. The State of Indiana has set the expectation that all students be present in school 94% of the school days. If kids are not here, they do not learn.
I created the bar graph comparing State Average attendance vs. RCHS attendance (2018–2026).
Key visual takeaways from the graph included in this post:
RCHS dropped sharply during COVID (2021) to about 27.9%, far below the state average.
Recovery began in 2023 when RCHS briefly exceeded the state average.
After my arrival (2024–2026) there is a major upward trend at RCHS:
2024: 53%
2025: 85%
2026: 93% (so far)
By 2025–2026, RCHS significantly outperforms the state average.
This has been accomplished in three ways:
Intentional focus on the attendance of students
Overhauling past practices on attendance procedures
Focus on building culture and school pride. Making RCHS a place kids want to be!
For more information, please click the link below:
https://www.rushville.k12.in.us/page/delay-and-closure-information
https://www.applitrack.com/rushville/onlineapp/JobPostings/view.asp?Category=Administration&AppliTrackJobId=414&AppliTrackLayoutMode=detail&AppliTrackViewPosting=1
For more information, please click the link below:
https://www.rushville.k12.in.us/page/delay-and-closure-information
In light of the recent National Publication article that came out highlighting RCHS as a leading innovator of education in the state of Indiana, we want to show you some of the State funding we receive for these programs. We receive state funding for Career Technical Education programs and from students earning Dual Credits, the Indiana College Core (ICC), and Associate's degrees earned. We have had a significant increase in state funding in these two areas over the past three years. Here is a brief breakdown.
Career & Technical Education (CTE) Growth
8 new Career Programs launched in 3 years
2 additional programs starting next year
All programs qualify for CTE state funding
CTE Funding Growth:
2022/2023: $250,000
2024/2025: $531,215
2025/2026 (projected): $600,000+
Dual Credit Program Growth
Before 2023/2024: No Dual Credit funding
Students could not earn the Indiana College Core (ICC) or an Associate’s Degree
Student Achievement:
2024: 19 ICC graduates
2025: 24 ICC graduates
2026: 32 ICC graduates + first Associate’s Degree!!
Dual Credit Funding for 2026:
$401,000 in state funding
Total State Funding Growth (CTE + Dual Credit)
2022/2023: $250,000 total
2025/2026: Over $1,000,000 total
$750,000 increase in just three years
All funds go directly into the Education Fund to support teacher raises.
RCHS and Rush County Schools were just featured in a National Publication, Business View Magazine. Three schools from every state were featured, and RCHS represented the State of Indiana along with two very large corporations, Westfield and Perry Township. Here is the link to that article
https://businessviewmagazine.com/civil-municipal/feb-2026/205
We are VERY proud to be leading the way in Indiana for the innovation of education!
