Orleans Community Schools

A Small but Mighty Student-Centered School Division

Where Collaboration and Vision Create Opportunity

Although small in size, Orleans Community Schools has the advantages of a close-knit district and the ambition of a much larger one. Serving 853 students, Orleans has built a reputation for knowing its students well, working closely with community partners, and finding creative ways to expand learning opportunities.

Superintendent Jimmy Ellis describes, “Our mission statement is, ‘Bulldogs building a better world by helping students reach their full potential.’ Basically, it’s trying to meet every student where they’re at and helping them grow, improve, and meet their goals, whatever they might be.”

Partnering for Success

On its own, Orleans may not have the capacity to offer a multitude of programs, but this hasn’t stopped the district from finding innovative ways to provide opportunities for students. “We can’t do everything, but what we do, we try to do well,” Ellis maintains. “We’re always trying to search out partners that’ll help us expand what we do, in a financially sensible way.”

COSMOS, an acronym for Collaboration of Shoals, Mitchell, and Orleans Schools, is one example. Growing out of a Ready Schools initiative supported by the Regional Opportunity Initiative, COSMOS focuses on sharing resources, programs, and expertise across district lines. Through this collaboration, students can access courses and pathways that might otherwise be unavailable, including academic offerings and CTE programming.

Apryl Kidd, Director of COSMOS, remarks, “One thing that we embrace is that our students can find something that they’re passionate about, but then also maybe find things that they aren’t. So, being able to allow them in the high school space to explore is something that we really encourage amongst our shared programming.”

When it comes to developing new pathways and finding industry partners, the district works with organizations like the Orange County Economic Development Partnership to expand student options and make sure that opportunities continue to evolve.

Ellis points to Jasper Seating as one of the district’s valued industry partners. Along with offering student internships, instructors have taken classes on-site, where they can learn in an authentic industry environment. “They give them a real-world problem, something that needs to be solved,” Ellis says. “Those engineering and manufacturing classes are working on solving those problems.”

In addition, Seufert Construction’s summer internship experiences gave students a chance to earn money and gain some valuable skills. “They were the general contractor on our recent addition at the elementary school, and our remodel of a couple of areas at the Jr./Sr. high school,” Ellis expands. “They could have just come in and done the work, and that would have been fine, but they were really conscious of wanting to get students involved.”

Lost River Career Cooperative is another key contributor, giving students access to a CDL program and a chance to earn certification before graduating high school. “That’s been a really good partnership for us as well,” Ellis notes, adding that the district is exploring ways to expand CDL opportunities.

“The Lost River Co-op is a career and technical cooperative that we’re not a part of, but they’ve been gracious enough to allow us to use unopened seats,” he adds. “But we don’t always get all the students we want to, to take part in that. If we had to try to start that by ourselves here at Orleans, we couldn’t afford it, but if we split the cost three ways, it becomes much more affordable and much more of a path to success.”

Supporting the Whole Student

Recognizing that students learn best when they feel safe and supported, Orleans Community Schools has taken steps to create an environment that focuses on more than just academic outcomes. From mental health to extracurricular options, the district takes a holistic approach to education.

Orleans partners with Youth First, a social services organization that provides access to a master ’s-level social worker, as well as Southern Indiana Community Health Care. “They both have different funding models, but the school corporation pays a part of the salary for each of those people, and then the organization picks up the rest of that. That’s been really successful, allowing the students access to counseling when they need it,” Ellis conveys.

As far as extracurricular achievement, Orleans has much to celebrate. The boys’ basketball team captured the Class A state title in 2025, the first state championship in school history. “That was a very proud moment for not only the school but the community,” Ellis boasts.

He shares that other athletic programs have also excelled, including girls’ softball, girls’ basketball, cross country, and track and field. “We’re a small school, and sometimes we don’t have the number of athletes or the access to certain things, but our kids do a wonderful job, and our coaches do a wonderful job. There’s a lot to be proud of there,” he acknowledges.

On the arts side, the district offers outstanding band, Winter Guard, and choir programs. “They always do a wonderful job,” says Ellis. “It’s amazing to see what they’re able to do.”  On the scholarly side, the district’s academic teams, Future Farmers of America, and Business Professionals of America proudly participate at the state level, sporting numerous state titles.

“We’re very fortunate here,” he emphasizes. “The community is very proud of our school and our students, and they show that with the way they come out to different events. We’re also lucky that we have some teachers and staff members who are willing to spend so much time helping the kids be so successful.”

Hands-on Learning Opportunities and Career Pathways

When it comes to preparing students for life after high school, technology, STEM, and project-based learning are all prioritized. Elementary students have dedicated STEM time each week in a specialized space equipped with tools such as robotics and 3D printers. At the Jr./Sr. In high school, students have access to a fabrication lab that rivals those found in much larger districts.

“They do a ton of different things with 3D printing, with Glowforges, CNC routers, poster makers,” Ellis says. “Just recently, at our high school fabrication lab, they started manufacturing hats to sell. They’re always looking for products that they can sell to the public, and they’re looking to expand that.”

One of the strongest shared pathways across COSMOS is health science, providing options that align with different interests and work environments. “Students from all three districts can move through that pathway, and then have some flexible choice,” Kidd details. “At Shoals High School, we offer the CNA class as the end of that pathway, and then we also offer the certified clinical medical assistant CCMA at Mitchell.”

Engineering and design technology is another standout area. Orleans offers a computer-aided design certificate through a local community college, allowing students to graduate with 18 college credit hours and an in-demand credential. “We’ve opened that one up as a shared class in the past, and plan to for the future,” says  Kidd. “We also have a shared social services pathway that’s going to be new this coming year.”

 Investing in Facilities and Safety

Ongoing capital investments, such as the recently completed elementary school addition, reflect the district’s commitment to learning and safety. “We’ve added services over the years, we’ve had an increase in enrollment, and we just needed more space,” elaborates Ellis.

“Our speech and hearing teacher was working in a storage closet, and we didn’t have any space to meet with people. So, we remodeled one classroom into some office space and a conference room, then added six classrooms and upgraded our special education space to make it more appropriate.”

Kidd emphasizes the importance of the design, noting,  “They were so thoughtful of the types of furniture and the way that the spaces can be multipurpose, with garage doors allowing those STEM-related classes to be in collaborative workspaces.”

In addition, safety upgrades have been completed at the Jr./Sr. high school, where the district reconfigured the main entrance to improve security, upgraded its camera system, and modernized door access controls.

Looking ahead, facilities maintenance remains top of mind for the district. “We need to take a long look at our classroom HVAC units,” he says. “We’re developing a plan right now to do that over several years, replacing the units that need the most work first. We’re always looking to try to maintain what we have, to make it work and make it better.”

 A Bright Future Ahead

As Orleans Community Schools moves forward, the focus remains on balancing ambition with sustainability. For Superintendent Ellis, academic success, financial stability, facility maintenance, and the continued expansion of relevant career pathways all top the list.

“You’re always trying to make it better,” he concludes. “But you also want to maintain, and you don’t want to be in a position where you’re having to cut programs or staff for financial reasons.”

Through collaboration, clear focus, and a student-centered approach, Orleans Community Schools continues to demonstrate the impact a small district can make, preparing students not only for graduation but for meaningful futures in a rapidly changing world.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Orleans Community Schools

What: A K-12 school district embracing collaboration and opportunities for its students

Where: Orleans, Indiana

Website: www.orleans.k12.in.us