Original Research by School Decision on Christel House Dors
Christel House DORS is not a conventional school district. It is a network of charter schools in Indianapolis designed for adults who did not finish high school and are seeking a diploma. The district enrolls roughly a thousand students, all of whom are classified as ungraded – consistent with an adult learner population. No students are reported in any grade from kindergarten through twelve, and this structure explains why most standard K-12 academic metrics are absent. There are no state assessment results because the testing system does not apply to this setting, and there is no graduation rate as conventionally measured, given the nontraditional pathway toward completion.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of Black students; smaller numbers of white and Asian students are enrolled as well, with very few students of other racial backgrounds. Information on economic disadvantage, special education, and English learner status was not available in the data provided.
The only academic comparison metric that applies is chronic absenteeism, which is reported at the highest possible level. Among Marion County’s districts, this figure places Christel House DORS in the bottom quartile. Per-pupil current spending is in the lower range among county districts, well below the median. These figures likely reflect the nature of the adult learner population and the district’s model rather than a traditional K-12 setting, but a parent or resident may want to discuss attendance expectations and resources directly with the school.
Publicly reported developments show that Christel House DORS opened a new Northwest campus in the 2023-2024 school year, bringing the network to four campuses across Indianapolis and increasing access for adult students. The South campus offers free onsite drop-in childcare for students while they attend class, funded by philanthropic partners. This removes a significant barrier for adult learners who are parents.
Overall, this is not a school a family would choose for a child from kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is an alternative pathway for adults returning to complete their high school education. The narrative here is necessarily sparse because the standard data points that parents typically use to evaluate K-12 schools – proficiency, graduation rate, course access, discipline climate – simply do not exist in the same form for an adult charter network. Anyone considering enrollment should seek detailed information from the network about academic progress, completion rates, and support services.
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