Indiana charter school board director is out. He says not by choice

The longtime executive director of the Indiana Charter School Board was asked to resign in January, a previously unreported change that left a key state education position vacant for weeks without public notice.

James Betley, who led the board for nearly a decade, confirmed Wednesday that his departure was not voluntary but declined to elaborate. Previously he worked as deputy director of education policy under former Gov. Mike Pence and held other state positions. 

“I was asked to resign,” Betley told WFYI.

State officials had not previously disclosed the vacancy, and it remains unclear why Betley was asked to leave. His departure comes as the board, which authorizes and oversees dozens of charter schools statewide, could play a significant role in Gov. Mike Braun’s plan to expand school choice options across the state.

Braun’s recent cabinet restructuring placed the charter board under the oversight of Secretary of Education Katie Jenner, though it remains a separate agency. 

A spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Education declined to comment on Betley’s resignation, citing personnel confidentiality, and referred questions to the State Personnel Department.

On Monday, the board voted to appoint Lindsay Omlor as its new executive director. Omlor heads the charter authorizer Education One at Trine University, a private institution in Angola, for nearly 11 years. She will start the state position in April.

Jenner acknowledged the leadership change when asked by a WFYI reporter Wednesday but did not comment about Betley’s exit.

“We hired Lindsey Omlor,” Jenner said.

It’s unclear what led up to Betley’s departure and Omlor’s selection. According to state code, the executive director is hired by the charter board and the director can also be removed with just cause by the board. 

There was no discussion about Betley’s job at the board’s December meeting, according to minutes. No public meetings or executive sessions were held in January or February, according to the board’s website.

At the board’s Monday meeting, there was no discussion about Omlor or her qualifications before the board approved her appointment. Omlor, who attended the meeting, did not address the board. The entire meeting lasted four minutes.  

Board Chair Beth Bray did not respond to a request for comment.

The charter board’s role

The Indiana Charter School Board was created in 2011 by the Indiana General Assembly and is now one of eight authorizers in the state.

Charter schools are tuition-free public schools managed privately by nonprofit boards rather than elected boards, like traditional school districts. These nonprofit boards propose operating plans to one of several authorizers in the state. 

Often, the board's executive director and other staff review the plan and make a recommendation to the board whether it should be approved. If the board votes to accept the proposal, the school can open.  

Boards also monitor a school’s academics, culture and financial operations  and can revoke a charter or choose not to renew it.

State lawmakers are considering changes to how charter schools are funded by requiring some traditional public school districts to share property tax revenue.

The Indiana Charter School Board oversees 39 schools, including 17 Excel Center adult high schools. A majority of the charter schools are located in Indianapolis, including seven operated by Phalen Leadership Academies. The board charges an administrative fee to each school of 0.75% of the school’s total state funding, which rolls into its budget along with state money. 

The board closed Indy STEAM Academy last year after several accusations of financial and governance mismanagement. Betley oversaw the school’s corrective plan and ultimately recommended the board close it due to those concerns.

It’s one of three schools the board has authorized and then voted to revoke their charters. Four other ICSB schools were closed or not renewed. 

Past members of the charter board have been critical of some charter operators and declined some proposals to open schools. The director is expected to be an advocate for quality charter schools. 

Last year, Betley’s previous comments about “oversaturated” charter schools in Indianapolis Public Schools’ boundaries were used by charter opponents in their unsuccessful attempt to block zoning approval of a charter school in Marion County’s Washington Township.

In a statement, Betley asked leaders at Washington Township Schools to “cease using these remarks to support the Township's position that there is no need for more charter schools in Indianapolis.”

On the contrary, Betley continued, there are “disparities among different groups of students who may be better served by additional high-quality public school options” in Indianapolis.

A new board director

Omlor was voted in as the new executive director at the charter board’s Monday meeting with vice-chair Jill Robinson Kramer choosing to abstain. Kramer did not give a reason during the meeting and did not respond to a request for comment.

Before working for Trine University’s charter authorizer Education One, Omlor was with national charter school operator Imagine. Omlor holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Teaching from Indiana University and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Ball State University.

The board is made up of nine members: four appointed by the governor, and one each appointed by secretary of education, Senate president pro tempore, Senate minority leader, speaker of the House, and House minority leader.

Rachel Fradette is WFYI's Statehouse education reporter. Contact Rachel at rfradette@wfyi.org.