ELLETTSVILLE — Seven Oaks Classical School hoped a grant directly from Monroe County could help them feed students in need. Instead, county commissioners decided to give the school nothing.
Monroe County Commissioners voted Thursday to remove Seven Oaks Classical School's application from its Sophia Travis grants for 501(c)(3) non-profits. If approved, the school would have received $1,800 of the more than $162,000 allocated for the program.
Seven Oaks Classical School was on the list for approval before county commissioners met. School headmaster Dr. Stephen Shipp said they desired the grant because he saw how many students experienced financial problems.
"The number of students who were requesting assistance really skyrocketed," Shipp said. "We were looking for ways to augment it."
However, commissioners were opposed to using any county money for Seven Oaks once they saw the application.
"I'm just not comfortable supporting a charter school for this purpose," said board of commissioners president Julie Thomas during the grant hearing.
While Monroe County decided not to fund Seven Oaks' emergency food program, Shipp said supporters of the school came through instead.
"The day after the commissioners' decision, I woke up to a text from a staffer where someone said they would like to drop off a check at the school for $1,800," Shipp said.
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Taj Simmons the In Your Community reporter for Monroe and Morgan counties. He joined WRTV in August of 2023. The Oakland, CA native is not a Hoosier by birth, but is excited to learn all about the area and tell the stories of the people who make this state feel like home. Share your story ideas and important issues with Taj by emailing him at taj.simmons@wrtv.com.
