Chalkbeat

Former Tindley charter school network CEO, 2 others to pay nearly $1 million in restitution for fraud

2026-08-25T19:34:02+00:00

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The former CEO of the Tindley charter school network and two other individuals must pay nearly one million dollars in restitution to the school system after pleading guilty to wire fraud.

Brian Metcalf will also serve over a year in prison. His fraud began just months after the Tindley network consolidated its five Indianapolis schools into three in 2019 amid financial struggles and low enrollment. The network enrolled 1,000 students in the city last year.

The judgment against Metcalf in federal court last week ends a fraud case based on Metcalf’s time leading the charter network, as well as his time as a Chicago Public Schools principal and as an employee for the nonprofit City Year Chicago.

Federal prosecutors claimed Metcalf used his positions in these organizations to defraud them with the help of two other defendants, Kimberly Maddox and James Darnell Campbell. Campbell and Maddox submitted invoices for services that were never delivered, and in turn would give Metcalf a portion of the funds, prosecutors alleged.

Metcalf was CEO of Tindley from July 2019 to December 2022. The fraudulent activity concerning the charter network took place from October 2019 to August 2022, according to court documents. The grand jury indictment against Metcalf, Maddox, and Campbell was unsealed in December 2023.

Metcalf pleaded guilty to two of the nine counts of wire fraud counts against him. He admitted in a plea agreement last year that he used some of that money to pay his credit card bills, mortgage provider, car loan, a casino that hosted his family reunion, and a company that fixed his roof.

Maddox pleaded guilty to one of the four counts of wire fraud against her and was sentenced to two years in prison last month. Campbell also pleaded guilty to one of the five counts against him and was sentenced to a year and one day in prison.

An attorney for Metcalf declined to comment. An attorney for Campbell and Maddox also declined to comment.

The Tindley network is due a total of $939,800 in restitution.

Metcalf and Maddox must collectively pay $539,800 in restitution to the Tindley network. Metcalf and Campbell must collectively pay the network another $400,000, according to court documents.

Metcalf and Maddox must also collectively pay $88,500 to Chicago Public Schools and $70,900 to City Year.

Restitution is due immediately, according to a spokesperson for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District Court of Illinois.

Tindley leaders did not respond to requests for comment on how it plans to spend the restitution.

Prior to leading the Tindley network in 2019, Metcalf served as an interim principal and later as a chief of schools in Chicago Public Schools, according to CPS. He was also the managing director of impact at City Year Chicago, according to court documents.

The Tindley network has since adopted new vendor policies and procedures, CFO Sandra Tresselt told Mayor Joe Hogsett’s charter school office in December 2024 as the charter for the Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School was up for renewal.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana charter schools could receive over $49 million in new revenue from proposed tax increases

2026-08-18T11:00:00+00:00

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Indiana charter schools have tens of millions of dollars at stake in the upcoming ballot questions this November. But it’s unclear in many instances how they officially plan to spend that potential influx of revenue.

State law requires districts in four counties to share revenue from property tax increases approved by voters with charters enrolling students who live within those districts’ boundaries. This year, only districts in two of those counties, Marion and Lake, are seeking those tax increases in November. Nearly all the revenue would go to charters in Marion.

Eight school districts running referendums have reported to the state that they will share that revenue with about 60 charter schools. Altogether, the referendums have a maximum annual total of nearly $200 million, and an estimated $49.5 million of that would go to charter schools.

The potential funding represents the largest amount charters could receive from ballot questions in state history. And one charter can benefit from multiple ballot measures.

Yet only four of the eight districts have included referendum spending plans for individual charter schools in documents submitted to the state. And of the $49.5 million, nearly all of it — $48.7 million — is not accounted for in those official spending plans, although several charters did discuss their plans for the money with Chalkbeat.

Generally, funds from these ballot measures can be spent on day-to-day operations, such as staff salaries, academic programs, and transportation.

State law requires districts to submit spending plans from charter schools that would benefit from the tax increase to state government, alongside their own plans.

Yet there is little oversight of this process. Some charter officials say districts did not ask them to submit a spending plan, while some districts have said certain charter schools failed to provide them when asked.

The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which is floating a ballot question for Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools that could provide the most money, did not include charter school spending plans in its documents submitted to the state. But the corporation plans to track spending of future potential referendum dollars, its acting director Michael O’Connor said.

The estimated funding for individual charters is tied to the number of a school’s students who live in the district asking for a tax increase.

Christel House Academy South stands to gain an estimated $2.5 million — the highest amount for a single charter school — if voters approve all three referendums it’s participating in. Most of that funding would come from the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation’s ballot question. Over 90 percent of its 975 students lived within IPS borders last spring, according to state data.

Christel House Indianapolis CEO Emily Masengale anticipates spending much of that funding on staffing and transportation. Christel House Academy South provides transportation to over 450 students, and in recent years its transportation costs have increased by 28%. Transportation costs for both the South and West campuses within the Christel House Indianapolis charter network amount to over $1 million annually, according to the network.

“Transportation and staffing are always really big expenses,” she said. “We wanted the best teachers in front of our students, so we always strive to ensure that we have comparable pay to districts.”

The charter networks with the most to gain include Phalen Leadership Academies, which has six schools eligible for ballot measure funding through IPEC and the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township. Phalen could receive up to nearly $6 million. And Paramount Schools of Excellence, which has four schools eligible for funding across four districts, could gain $4.1 million.

KIPP Indy could get up to $3.6 million in new revenue if voters approve referendums for IPEC and the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township pass. The charter network plans to use funding for professional development and initiatives to increase student attendance, among other things.

“Because the referendum funding would represent a significant new investment in our schools, we want to be thoughtful about aligning those dollars with the strategies we believe will have the greatest impact on students,” the charter network said in a statement.

At Purdue Polytechnic High School, which has two Indianapolis campuses that could gain roughly $2 million, CEO Keanna Warren said the network would use the money on “competitive teacher compensation, transportation, and student support,” she said in an email.

The general election is Nov. 3. Early voting starts on Oct. 6.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana school district referendum guide 2026: What to know about your district’s requested tax increase

2026-08-17T11:00:00+00:00

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This article was co-reported with WFYI.

A record number of school districts are asking voters to approve higher property tax rates this fall as recent tax reforms compound with the state’s existing property tax caps to bring financial stress to districts across Indiana.

Nearly all of the 38 school districts seeking referendums are doing so to cover operating expenses, such as transportation and teacher salaries. But the impact on taxpayers can vary based on a community’s assessed property values and whether the district already has a referendum in place.

Many districts attribute the need for a ballot question to Senate Enrolled Act 1 from 2025, which will bring property tax relief to homeowners by phasing in new property tax deductions and creating new property tax credits — changes that at one point were estimated to cost districts a collective $744 million.

But districts also face a multitude of other challenges, including rising operational costs, declining enrollment, and a competitive school choice landscape that, for the first time this year, will include private school vouchers for every family regardless of income. Districts are also now restricted in how often they can ask voters for a referendum to the November general election, which are held every even year.

Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI have compiled a referendum guide to help you understand your district’s ballot question.

What to know about referendums at the polls

If voters in your school district have recently passed a referendum, the new ballot question is likely asking them to replace it with a higher tax rate — not charge the new rate on top of the existing one — to offset revenue the district expects to lose under property tax reform.

Yet some school districts are warning voters that the ballot question does not clearly explain that distinction.

State law requires ballot language to describe a referendum’s cost as if a district currently has none. In Westfield, for example, the ballot question lists an $873 annual increase for a $450,000 home, based on a maximum rate of $0.3941 per $100 of assessed value. But Westfield Washington Schools already collects a rate of $0.17 per $100 under a referendum voters approved in 2023.

If voters approve the measure in November, the new tax rate would replace the existing $0.17 rate rather than be added on top of it. As a result, the owner of a $450,000 home would pay closer to $494 more a year, not $873, according to the district.

Five districts are seeking a property tax increase for the first time: the Metropolitan School District of Shakamak, Mississinewa Community School Corporation, Shelbyville Central Schools, Tipton Community School Corporation, and Tri-Central Community Schools.

State law previously required that districts in four counties — Lake, Marion, Vanderburgh, and St. Joseph — share their operating referendum proceeds with charter schools enrolling students living within their boundaries. But beginning in 2028, all districts statewide must share with charter schools that enroll students within their borders.

This year, only districts in Marion and Lake counties have stated that they will share their potential revenue with charters, which is estimated at over $49 million for about 60 charter schools, according to documents districts submitted to the Department of Local Government Finance. Spending plans and amounts for charter schools were submitted by districts, although these plans may not include all of the charters eligible to receive money.

Statewide, the requested tax rates range from an extra $0.9912 per $100 of assessed value for the River Forest Community School Corporation to an additional $0.09 for the Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation.

Search for details on your district’s ballot question below. Figures in district spending plans and charter school amounts are estimations.

The general election is on Nov. 3, and voters can register to vote, check their sample ballot, and check voting locations at https://indianavoters.in.gov/. Early voting starts on Oct. 6.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Eric Weddle is WFYI’s education editor. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org or follow him on X at @ericweddle.

Indiana third grade reading scores surpass pre-pandemic levels on IREAD test

2026-08-11T14:54:25+00:00

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Indiana’s literacy rates exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time this year as the share of third grade students reaching proficiency on the state reading exam inched up to 88.7%.

The fifth consecutive annual increase in IREAD proficiency rates comes after years of state support and reforms, including an increased number of chances to take the test, mandated literacy training for certain elementary educators, and an infusion of state and philanthropic funds for tutoring and early literacy instruction.

While the latest reading scores released Tuesday are an increase from the 2019 pass rate of 87.3%, the overall proficiency rate is still well short of the goal officials have for 2027, when they hope to have 95% of all Indiana students pass the exam. It falls just below the state’s highest pass rate of 91.4% in 2012-13, the first year of the test.

Unlike in previous years, officials released the IREAD results alongside statewide ILEARN and SAT results for 2026 at the State Board of Education meeting.

Scores improved since last year across nearly all racial and ethnic groups, as well as for students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, for students with disabilities, and for English language learners. The overall pass rate — representing nearly 72,000 of over 81,100 third graders tested — includes students who passed the test in second grade during the 2024-25 school year, and includes students at both public and private schools.

Proficiency rates for Black students increased from 76.1% in 2025 to over 80% in 2026, an 18-percentage-point increase from their pandemic-era low of 62% in 2021.

That figure is well above the 2019 proficiency rate of 74.2%, and within one percentage point of the highest rate for Black students in Indiana’s history, Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said.

Hispanic students’ proficiency rate jumped nearly eight percentage points to 76.1%, but the figure is still just below the pre-pandemic rate of 78.1% in 2019.

And 84.1% of students receiving free or reduced-price meals reached proficiency this year, compared with 82.6% in 2025.

Proficiency rates for second graders also increased from 48% in 2025, the first year all second graders were required to take the test, to 62% this year. Those students’ scores will be counted toward next year’s IREAD results.

It’s unclear how many third grade students will be retained in the 2026-27 school year. Last year, 3,040 students repeated third grade after failing the exam, out of 84,000 students tested. The department has not released the demographic data of the 3,040 students retained last year.

IREAD increases follow historic investments, new mandates

Students now have up to five chances to pass the test throughout second and third grade, including summer school retest opportunities.

State officials once again reported that schools in the Indiana Literacy Cadre — an initiative that provides instructional coaches to schools to improve reading instruction — posted greater proficiency gains than schools that didn’t participate. The cadre began as an opt-in initiative, but state law requires lower-performing schools — this year, those with a pass rate below 75% for three consecutive years — to participate.

Indiana’s IREAD improvements come after a flurry of policy changes sparked by a nationwide shift on how reading is taught, as well as concern over the pandemic’s effects on literacy.

Many changes started in 2022, when the state announced over $100 million for phonics-based reading instruction, funded largely by the Lilly Endowment. That year, the department launched the Indiana Literacy Cadre, which has since grown from 41 to 770 schools.

The department that year also launched Indiana Learns, a grant program that allowed qualifying families to purchase English and math tutoring from approved providers.

In 2023, the state required school districts to adopt curriculum aligned with the science of reading. And in 2025, the department partnered with the Mind Trust nonprofit to replicate its Indy Summer Learning Labs — which provide summer academic enrichment — at schools across the state for free or at a low cost.

In 2022, second grade students were also allowed for the first time to take the IREAD if schools opted to administer it. By the 2024-25 school year, all second graders were required to take the test.

Second grade students who pass the test are counted in the following year’s IREAD scores and are not required to take the test in third grade.

A state law passed in 2024 also mandates that elementary and special education teachers who teach a content area involving literacy must earn a literacy endorsement, which requires them to undergo training and pass a Praxis content exam.

At Parkside Elementary in Columbus, Principal Chris Smith attributed the jump to a 96.1% pass rate to the staff’s focus on research-based instruction.

He described a student who, as a second grader last year, posted the lowest possible score on the exam. But with consistent data collection and “a lot of direct, explicit, and systematic instruction,” Smith said, the student passed this year.

“Now she loves to read graphic novels for fun, and feels capable as a student in all subject areas,” Smith said. “This is what she said yesterday: ‘It just feels good to be able to read.’”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

What do you think about your school district’s ballot request for a property tax increase?

2026-07-30T11:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

A record number of Indiana school districts are asking voters to approve property tax increases this November.

We want to know: How will this impact you?

Indiana’s school districts are facing financial strain on multiple fronts. Enrollment, which influences how much state revenue they receive, is declining. The costs of running a district, officials say, are increasing. And lawmakers last year passed property tax reform that is expected to cost districts millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Under state law, property taxes are capped at 1% of a home’s gross assessed value. But districts can seek out revenue beyond that by asking voters to approve a referendum on the ballot.

Those referendums ask voters to provide additional funds to schools for a specific need, such as operations, construction, or safety. The funding is on top of property taxes already allocated to schools along with state and federal funding.

Starting this year, districts may only ask voters for these increases during the state’s general election in November.

We want to hear from residents about what they think of school referendums and the impact it may have on their household budget. Your answers may help shape our future reporting on this year’s elections. Share your thoughts on questions below:

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Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s how far an Indiana Choice Scholarship voucher gets you at Indianapolis private schools

2026-07-24T11:00:00+00:00

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Some Indianapolis families that use private school vouchers could still get a bill upwards of one thousand dollars to cover the remaining cost of their tuition.

The median gap between tuition for private schools within Indianapolis Public Schools borders this upcoming school year and the voucher amount is $1,694, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of tuition rates. The analysis uses the estimated $7,455 each student living within IPS boundaries will receive from the Indiana Choice Scholarship program, and includes five virtual schools.

Families could get the remaining cost covered through other means, such as discounts and scholarships. But the gap underscores that even as more voucher programs nationwide become universal, they don’t necessarily cover all the costs for families that use them. For the first time, Indiana’s vouchers will be available to all families in the upcoming school year, regardless of income.

Critics of the voucher program, which Indiana launched in 2011, argue that it’s deviated from its original purpose of helping low-income families leave struggling schools for a better education. Supporters argue the program helps give families more options and the freedom to choose a school that best fits their child.

The gap between the cost of tuition and the voucher amount does have an effect on educational opportunity, said Jon Valant, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution, whose research has found that vouchers or voucher-like programs disproportionately benefit wealthier families in Indiana and other states.

“These programs often times don’t provide enough money for low-income families to afford the types of private education they might want,” Valant said. “For a lot of families, even a couple thousand dollars is a lot to cover in a year to actually bridge that gap.”

Private schools in the area said they bridge the gap for many families through scholarships or other structures that ease the tuition burden.

Chalkbeat’s analysis covers 21 of the 31 voucher-accepting schools in IPS borders that published their latest tuition rates or provided them to Chalkbeat. The remaining 10 schools did not respond to requests for that information. Not all private schools in the area accept vouchers.

Many Catholic schools also offer lower tuition rates for parishioners or families that are part of the archdiocese. Chalkbeat’s analysis used rates for non-church members.

It’s unclear whether the gap between vouchers and tuition for those Indianapolis-area schools has grown recently. But as Indiana’s nominal spending on vouchers increased from $15.5 million in 2011 to $497 million in 2024-25, the gap between per-student Choice Scholarship funding and average private school tuition per pupil also grew.

In 2016-17, the state reported that almost half of all voucher students had their full tuition and fee amounts covered by the voucher. By 2024-25, that figure had dropped to 28%.

For many schools, Chalkbeat’s analysis excludes additional fees — such as those for field trips or technology — which vouchers can also cover. It also excludes other financial aid that families can receive, such as scholarships offered by the school or discounts for enrolling more than one child.

Indiana Choice Scholarship funding is limited to up to 90% of the amount the public school district in which the student resides will receive that year in state tuition support per pupil. That means the voucher amount varies based on where a student lives.

Indiana’s voucher program was initially reserved for students in a household making no more than 150% of the amount needed to qualify for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program (in addition to other requirements). In 2011, that was about $60,000 for a family of four, Education Week reported at the time.

Over the next 15 years, lawmakers gradually expanded eligibility for vouchers. Beginning in 2023, for example, families earning up to 400% of the threshold to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch were eligible — meaning that in 2025-26, a family of four could earn up to $237,910 and still receive vouchers.

By 2024-25, over 76,000 students received Choice Scholarships, compared with just over 3,900 in 2011-12.

Within IPS borders, some private schools tap other financial resources so that families don’t pay the full remaining tuition amount, or offer sliding scales to reduce the tuition burden.

Providence Cristo Rey only admits families making up to 250% of the federal poverty guidelines — or a maximum of $80,375 for a family of four. The school is part of the Cristo Rey network, which offers private, Catholic education for underserved families.

The school’s tuition for 2026-27 is $27,900 — meaning the gap between tuition and the Choice Scholarship award for IPS students is over $20,000, the largest such figure in Chalkbeat’s analysis. But the school estimates family contributions will range from only $365 to $2,100. The rest is covered through various scholarships and corporate work-study funding for students.

The Oaks Academy, a network of schools founded in 1998 by a coalition of churches to provide a racially and socioeconomically diverse education, also has a sliding-scale tuition rate based on household size and local median income.

The network relies on funding from Indiana’s tax-credit program — in which individuals make donations to scholarship-granting organizations for private school tuition, in exchange for a tax credit — to fill in some of the gap left between the voucher and tuition cost, said Oaks Academy CEO Andrew Hart.

The voucher program has allowed the network to serve about 800 more students than it would have served otherwise, he said. When Oaks Academy began, the only tuition subsidies available for lower-income families were from philanthropy.

Only about 15% of families pay full tuition, Hart said, while 50% pay a “very small fraction” — some as low as $100 a month.

“Our families have benefited significantly [from] the voucher program,” Hart said. “And now of course starting this year, all of our families will benefit.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Record-high number of Indiana school districts ask voters for property tax increases

2026-07-17T17:26:38+00:00

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A record number of Indiana school districts are asking voters to increase property taxes for various expenses this fall as reforms passed by state lawmakers last year take effect.

At least 38 districts are requesting to place a referendum question on the ballot in November for one of three reasons allowed by state law: to pay for operating expenses, capital needs, or security projects. The majority of districts are requesting an operating referendum, which covers everyday expenses such as transportation and curriculum.

The surge in ballot questions seeking property tax increases reflects the rising financial pressure on school districts due to recent changes in state law. Last year, lawmakers changed state law so that districts may only place referendum questions on the ballot during general elections, which fall in November of even-numbered years, instead of every year. Plus, lawmakers passed a sweeping property tax relief bill that by one estimate would cost school districts millions of dollars in lost revenue.

A final list of all ballot questions won’t be available until at least Aug. 1. But the number of districts listed on the department’s website just a few weeks before the Department of Local Government Finance finalizes the questions already represents a record for districts seeking tax increases in a single election and calendar year.

Half of the 38 districts are requesting to renew their operating referendums, even though their existing voter-approved tax increases do not expire this year. Five others are seeking an operating referendum for the first time, according to an analysis of historical referendums from the Indiana University Center for Evaluation and Education Policy. Many districts cite the recent property tax reform legislation as a major factor in asking voters for more funding.

Several expenses covered by operating dollars, including transportation and utilities, are growing far faster than the rate of inflation, said Indiana School Board Association Executive Director Terry Spradlin.

The 2025 changes, combined with the state’s 2008 property tax reforms — which capped property taxes for homeowners at 1% of gross assessed value —will end up costing school districts across the state about $5 billion in tax revenue over roughly two decades, he said.

“For the 38 districts pursuing the referendum, it’s not really for program expansions — new programs, new expenses,” said Spradlin, who expects about a dozen more districts to file ballot questions ahead of the deadline. “It’s really to maintain status quo.”

So far, just one district is requesting a capital referendum, and one is requesting a safety referendum.

Most Indiana districts have never sought a referendum

Although the number of ballot questions has reached a record high, it is not extraordinary given that two years’ worth of ballot questions are now being squeezed into one, experts say.

Historically, school districts that have successfully passed a referendum have a greater chance of winning another one, said Larry DeBoer, a professor emeritus at Purdue University who has extensively studied tax referendums.

And districts that have tried but failed to pass a ballot question still have a higher success rate on subsequent attempts than districts asking voters for the first time, he said. Of the 38 listed so far on the department’s website, seven have previously floated a referendum that voters have rejected.

“Even if you’ve lost before, your chances of winning this time are better,” DeBoer said. “And I suppose that’s experience.”

Some districts may be asking voters to renew a referendum years before an existing one expires so they have multiple opportunities to try and pass a ballot question, Spradlin said.

Others are seeking a referendum early because their current operating referendum no longer generates enough revenue due to property tax reforms, he said.

The property tax caps first implemented in 2008 — known as “circuit breakers” — have collectively cost school districts statewide over $4 billion in lost revenue since their inception, according to historical figures from the Legislative Services Agency. The latest tax reforms will cost school districts statewide roughly $744 million from 2026 through 2028, according to a state analysis last year.

Still, 88 of the 144 school corporations that have floated a referendum have succeeded in passing one, according to Spradlin.

“It might be (that) the publicity will cause voters to say, ‘I guess this is a normal thing now,’” DeBoer said. “But it’s still the case that more than half the school districts have never tried a referendum. On the whole, it’s not that common.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated to reflect the number of school districts that have passed a referendum, per Terry Spradlin.

More Republicans than Democrats file for school board races in central Indiana

2026-07-01T11:00:00+00:00

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A plurality of school board candidates in central Indiana did not declare a party affiliation ahead of the general election in November, when school board races across the state will be partisan for the first time.

But those who did declare a party tended to declare themselves Republican, with about one-third of candidates identifying with the GOP in candidate filings.

In the nine-county region, about one-third of the 211 candidates are Republicans, while roughly 13% are Democratic and 9% are independent. About 45% of candidates did not declare a party affiliation. Incumbent candidates were more likely to identify as Republican or not have a party listed. Only incumbents in Marion County identified themselves as Democrats.

The filings for central Indiana could shed light on how political partisanship affects school board races. In Marion County, Democratic candidates outnumber Republican candidates. Yet in the more conservative counties that surround the state’s capital, Republican candidates outnumber Democratic ones.

State lawmakers approved partisan school board races last year despite significant opposition from educators and advocates who argued that partisan politics would disrupt inherently nonpartisan activities left to the school board, like selecting a superintendent and approving an annual budget. But some Republican lawmakers who backed the legislation said it would help voters support candidates who align with their values.

The new state law allows candidates to include a political party after their name, leave their political affiliation blank, identify as independent, or state that they do not identify with a party. But candidates who identify as Democrats or Republicans could gain a key advantage.

Under a state law adopted this year, the party whose candidate received the most votes in the county in the most recent election for secretary of state will be listed first on ballots. The party with the second-highest number of votes for that office will be listed second, followed by independent candidates or those affiliated with parties that did not have a secretary of state candidate. Finally, candidates who do not disclose any political affiliation will appear last.

That means in Democratic-leaning Marion County, for example, Democratic school board candidates will be listed before their Republican opponents. But elsewhere in the state, Republican school board candidates will be first on the ballot — which some research suggests could give them an advantage over other candidates.

The move toward partisanship comes as national political polarization has begun to affect state and local races that have typically been less partisan, said Michael Wolf of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Purdue University Fort Wayne. In K-12 education, this shift has fueled divisive debates over book bans and mask mandates.

The change could have upsides and downsides, Wolf said. While fewer candidates may be interested in running in partisan races, more voters may cast a vote for school board candidates if they’re aware of the candidate’s party.

“One of the benefits, certainly, of partisan elections is that you probably would have more participation at least in people not skipping that race when they’re voting,” he said.

Party affiliation could bring ballot advantage

Some incumbents say voters have often wanted to know what political party school board candidates belong to.

When Zachary Smith Howard knocked on doors in his first bid for the Franklin Township Community School Corporation board in 2018, the most common question people asked him was his party affiliation, he said.

“I would tell people, ‘This is a nonpartisan race, but I identify with the Republican Party,’” said Howard, who is on the board of the Indiana School Boards Association but spoke to Chalkbeat in his personal capacity. “Most people don’t do the homework on the school board elections, they just don’t.”

Howard is seeking his third term as the sole candidate for the northeast portion of the district. But this time, he filed as a Republican.

Howard considers his Republican affiliation as just another piece of information for Marion County voters in Franklin Township to consider. But he also wishes voters would do more research on what candidates stand for, he said, because there’s more to a candidate than a partisan label.

“My fear is that people will just look at the label and that’s how they’ll make a decision,” he said.

In Westfield, the partisan school board law spurred Gabriel Crawford-Paree to run as a Democrat for the at-large seat on the Westfield Washington school board — even though he opposed making school board elections partisan.

“Filing as a Democrat is my shorthand way to signal to the likely many voters I won’t be able to reach during my campaign that I do support public education,” he said.

His opponent in Hamilton County, Republican incumbent Amber Huff Willis, said she’s seen voters struggle to understand why the school board races are nonpartisan when she’s run for her seat in the past.

Although she declared a party affiliation, she said lawmakers shouldn’t have introduced political partisanship into school board races because it shouldn’t matter.

“I would say nine out of 10 times if you’re involved in a community, you probably understand who does what and who falls where,” she said.

The general election is on Nov. 3.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Marion County school board elections: Tell us what you want to know

2026-06-24T17:36:29+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

The 2026 elections could be critical for school districts across the Indianapolis area and the state.

It’s the first time school board candidates can declare a political party affiliation on the ballot. It also could bring a record number of requests from school districts to increase property taxes, as schools across the state struggle with declining enrollment and a loss in revenue from property tax reforms that state lawmakers implemented last year.

And school districts continue to navigate other challenges such as how to implement artificial intelligence in schools and a bell-to-bell cellphone ban for students.

The people elected to school boards will help guide these key decisions including what budget cuts may be necessary if voters reject a proposed property tax increase on the ballot.

We want to hear from Marion County voters about their most pressing issues and questions for prospective school board candidates in the 10 districts across Indianapolis with elected school boards. What do you want to know from the candidates? What challenges do you want to see them address?

Your answers will help shape our upcoming voter guide for Marion County school board elections in partnership with Mirror Indy and WFYI. Let us know what you’d like to know from your candidates below:

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Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Teacher merit pay in Indianapolis charter schools gets millions in new aid from philanthropies

2026-06-12T14:47:08+00:00

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Courtney Buuck thought there was some kind of mistake.

When she learned that she received a $40,000 bonus payment on top of her base teacher’s salary last fall, she was in shock. Like other staff at United Schools of Indianapolis’ three charter schools, she was eligible for a bonus based on her year-end evaluation score.

She just didn’t think she’d come out on top.

“I am just really hard on myself as an educator,” said Buuck, who teaches kindergarten at the Avondale Meadows Academy K-4 school. “And then once the shock wore off, I was just really proud of myself.”

Buuck plans to save her bonus to help her purchase her first home.

Buuck’s bonus comes from the $12.5 million Vigilance in Teaching and Learning — or VITAL — Trust, which launched in 2024 and pledged to support performance-based bonuses for staff at the charter network for 25 years. In the first year of awards, she received nearly $16,000.

Now, another venture with essentially the same name is expanding merit bonuses to 11 more Indianapolis charter schools this year in an effort to attract and retain high-quality educators. In April, the philanthropic VITAL Foundation awarded roughly $1.3 million in its first round of grants for teacher bonuses at high-needs schools that could range from $1,000 to $10,000.

The two initiatives differ in a few respects, but both are a substantial investment in merit pay in Indianapolis, where dozens of charter schools and multiple school districts compete for educators. The federal government has promoted the concept over the years through billions of dollars given to states to create performance-based pay systems, which the Trump administration also embraces.

The big question: Will it work? Research suggests that it could, if implemented in certain ways. But other studies suggest that narrowly focused merit-pay systems don’t deliver particularly well. And there are concerns dating back years that merit pay in general has little effect on student performance.

VITAL Foundation head Kelly Herron understands that money alone can’t solve the educator shortage. Instead, she said, the grants are part of a broader system to retain teachers.

“You have to create a culture in which this can work,” said Herron, who studied each school’s culture prior to awarding grants through school visits, staff focus groups, and surveys. “You can’t go into a school that already has a broken culture, and think that this is the magic wand.”

Merit pay hopes to address charter hiring challenge

Roughly 15 years ago, President Barack Obama’s Race to the Top initiative incentivized states to adopt merit-based pay structures.

But today, state law does not tie teacher pay directly to student performance. Instead, school districts can bargain differentiated pay based on a teacher’s evaluation. The state Teacher Appreciation Grant also gives money to up to 20% of a district or charter school’s teachers using specific performance criteria.

Charters and district-run schools can face different challenges when it comes to hiring and keeping teachers. Starting salaries can vary based on the schools. And charters don’t have to adhere to collective bargaining.

In the hiring game, charters may have the upper hand in at least one key respect. Charters received nearly twice as many applicants per opening as traditional school districts, according to a 2025 paper from the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Educational Research, or CALDER. The center analyzed teacher applications for 43 districts and charter school organizations nationwide using the Nimble application platform — a common hiring tool in Indiana.

But charter leaders can also have distinct hiring challenges that Herron, a former executive director of the United Schools of Indianapolis network, has experienced firsthand.

Some may struggle to keep up with the competitive base pay of nearby districts, she said. Others may have longer hours than traditional district-run schools or lack traditional districts’ name recognition.

The VITAL Trust bonuses, entering its third year, is based on a staff member’s numerical evaluation rating. The top 30% of performers receive an award that is weighted based on their score. In the program’s first two years, awards have averaged $10,000, with the top performer earning the $40,000 maximum. All staff members, not just teachers, are eligible for an award.

The new VITAL Foundation grant operates a bit differently.

Charters were awarded $3,000 per certified teaching position, and can only give bonuses to teachers designated as effective under the school’s performance system. How much each teacher receives also depends on their exact numerical evaluation score.

Schools that applied for the grants provided the foundation with their performance rubrics, which may rate teachers on academic outcomes along with other measures.

Neither the VITAL Foundation nor the VITAL Trust discloses its donors.

At Enlace Academy — which was a pilot school for the VITAL Trust that received $5,000 per certified teaching position — 40% of teacher evaluations is based on student academic outcomes. The rest is based on school-wide goals such as staff attendance and professional practice measures, such as response to feedback from teaching coaches.

Longer hours and lower pay is a challenge when it comes to recruiting teachers, said Katie Dulay, executive director of the Neighborhood Charter Network that operates Enlace.

“But the people who do well and are at Enlace for the long haul are here because they’re amongst peers who deeply care about their community and deeply care about getting strong outcomes for kids,” she said.

How can merit pay for teachers be successful?

Researchers suggest that there are two ways that merit pay could improve the existing teacher workforce.

“Pay would induce people to work harder or to get invested in themselves in ways that make them better,” said Dan Goldhaber, the director of CALDER who has studied teacher pay systems. “And it could also change the quality of the workforce by encouraging the right people to stay or come into a system.”

Some research suggests that certain merit pay structures — like one-time bonuses tied to year-end test score increases — don’t work well, Goldhaber said.

And merit pay like the state’s Teacher Appreciation Grant has fostered competition rather than collaboration, said Indiana State Teachers Association President Jennifer Smith-Margraf. Some districts declined the grant because of those tensions, she said.

Ultimately, Smith-Margraf said pay for performance is not what motivates teachers.

“What motivates them is wanting to be good at their job for their students,” she said. “And what keeps them from being focused on that is having to take care of doing two to three and four jobs instead of focusing on the one job of being an educator.”

On the other hand, a 2020 meta analysis of merit-pay systems found a positive effect of merit pay programs on student test scores.

Systems like those in the VITAL initiatives that distribute bonus amounts based on a teacher’s relative performance to others are more likely to have a positive impact on test scores, the analysis found. And those competitions did not appear to generate unhealthy competition.

Successful performance pay structures base teacher evaluations on factors beyond just student achievement, Goldhaber said. They also make the bonuses permanent by increasing base salary after multiple positive evaluations, for example, he said.

Matthew Springer of Basis Policy Research, an author of the meta-analysis, said it’s important to look at the “continuous quality improvement of the program and its design, as well as the overall effect of what the program is having on the system as a whole.”

How merit pay can change the teaching pool

At the United School of Indianapolis, administrators say they’re already noticing a difference two years into the VITAL Trust award program.

“I definitely think that the type of people that we get is becoming different,” Ciara Jones, principal of the Avondale Meadows Middle School within the charter network, said of the hiring process. “It’s the people (who) want to be recognized and have opportunity to work hard and receive something.”

Teacher retention rates dropped across USI schools since the first round of the VITAL Trust awards from 2023-24 to 2024-25, according to data from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. But leaders say they expect to see retention rates fluctuate from year to year while they focus on retaining high-performing teachers.

Damien Plaza, a social studies teacher at Avondale Meadows Middle School, was the recipient of the top $40,000 VITAL Trust prize in its inaugural year. "I think for all the people who received different levels of this award, it validates the feeling of excellence as a teacher," he said.

In the first two years of awards, 98% of bonus recipients returned to a USI school the following year, the network noted.

Damien Plaza, a social studies teacher at Avondale Meadows Middle School who won the $40,000 award in its first year, said he’s seen teachers increasing their level of commitment in response to the award.

“I think for all the people who received different levels of this award, it validates the feeling of excellence as a teacher,” he said. “Teachers working here have a big lift on their shoulders. The receipt of this award is just a rubber stamp of, ‘You’re going in the right direction.’”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

How this robotics teacher gets students interested in a challenge

2026-05-26T11:00:00+00:00

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As a student at Arsenal Technical High School, Isaac Adams did the minimum amount of work needed to pass.

That changed when he took a physics class with Mark Blachly in 2007.

“I discovered a passion for the mechanics of the world and how math can be used to explain everything from basic moving objects to thermodynamics,” Adams said.

Adams was struck by the creative tactics he used in his teaching. For example, he created a website and database where students could turn in their homework.

“I know that sounds mundane now, but in 2007 it was crazy,” Adams said. “He just took everything to the next level and expected nothing but the best from every student.”

Blachly was able to be “incredibly kind” but firm, Adams said: “It was incredibly intimidating going in, but I knew that he wanted the best for me and would push me to do what I needed to do.”

That experience in physics class inspired Adams to become an educator. He now teaches engineering, digital electronics, and robotics at his alma mater. He also coaches the Indianapolis school’s robotics team, which for the first time this year competed in the VEX Robotics World Championship. He started teaching at Tech in 2017.

“If I could sum up Tech in one word, it would be ‘legacy.’ It’s an incredible campus that is rich with history,” he said. “I was given the chance to come back to Tech and step into Dr. Blachly’s shoes. I didn’t know at the time that I would end back up with engineering and also step into the role of a robotics coach, but I’d like to say that I’m beginning to establish myself and build a similar reputation on campus.”

Adams has helped grow the robotics team, which began with a tough first season in 2022-23. “We competed twice and got our butts kicked,” Adams said.

But this year, the team took seven awards from nine tournaments — the most in the school’s history.

Adams spoke with Chalkbeat about engaging students in academics, COVID learning loss, and his biggest challenges in being an educator.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What was the most challenging moment in time for you as an educator, and how did you overcome it?

It’s hard to point to a single time, but teaching hybrid during COVID was definitely tough.

Our students go through a lot in their personal lives and the challenges of virtual/hybrid teaching brought a lot of those issues more clearly into the light. I spent those years trying to focus on the future. I began writing grants to build a makerspace and that effort is what led me to the engineering lab that I call home today.

Arsenal Technical High School teacher Isaac Adams, right, with members of the 7410X robotics team at the VEX Robotics World Championship.

Over the course of months, I was able to secure over 30 3D printers, a (computer numerical control) machine, and a laser cutter. We also procured thousands of dollars in tools and robotics components that get used daily by engineering and robotics students. However, as any engineer will tell you, the work is never done, so I continue to refine the space and try to make it more useful. I may have started building during COVID, but I’m still working on it.

How have you addressed pandemic learning loss?

In second-year engineering, I typically reserve time to do math boot camps to make sure they have the skillset for a given design challenge, such as trigonometry.

The best thing you can do is to let them get their hands dirty. You can’t just tell them about a concept, let them play around with it and struggle.

What advice would you give to educators who coach an academic extracurricular?

If you can get the students to buy in, they will take over and make it so much better. My robotics teams have grown this organization to a point where we have met all of our goals year after year. Get them excited, give them ownership, and let them drive.

What part of your job is most difficult?

I think the biggest challenge in my role is that it’s not one dimensional. I’m not just an engineering teacher; I am also a small-scale designer and manufacturer. I’m not just a robotics coach; I’m also the chair of the Arsenal Tech Faculty Musical committee. I never have a day that looks the same as the day before. That’s a challenge, but also incredibly gratifying.

If I had to pin down one thing, it would probably be the most challenging part of being an inner-city teacher: all the stuff outside my lab. My kids come in with some really challenging home situations. There are a lot of attendance-related issues and financial struggles that I can’t do anything to help with, and they have a huge impact on my classroom.

My lab is a place where we can build things and focus on what matters in the room. We rarely talk about the looming changes to IPS or the political shifts that will impact education. In our space, we focus on what we can control and how we can make the greatest impact on those around us. That’s how we’ve framed it, and I hope it can continue to be that space for students and for me.

What was your biggest misconception that you initially brought to teaching?

You don’t have to be the Dr. Blachly all the time. Sometimes kids will just remember you as the guy they knew they could come talk to when they need someone. Or, they need someone they know they can count on to be ready for them with something crazy when they walk in.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about teaching?

Kids need teachers who will kick their butts in the nicest way possible. They need to know that academics are rigorous, but they also need to understand why it’s hard and have the support of their teacher and their peers as they navigate it.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Believe Schools pivots from second location in Pike to serve credit-deficient, non-traditional students

2026-05-21T11:00:00+00:00

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Believe Schools is changing its plan to open a second Indianapolis high school in Pike Township to instead launch a small school for students who school leaders say are underserved.

The Believe Accelerator school, which plans to launch in the fall, would begin with a target of 35 students and three staff members and serve three types of learners: multilingual students aged 16 to 19 who may be credit-deficient; other credit-deficient students aged 16 to 19 who don’t thrive in a traditional school model; and motivated, independent 15- to-16-year-olds who want to graduate high school early.

The model comes in part from the experience of leaders at Believe Circle City, which launched in 2020. The school’s graduation rate dropped from 90% in 2024 to roughly 82% in 2025. Staff have been examining why students have been dropping out.

One major reason, they found: Students need to work to support their families.

Believe Accelerator’s goal is to serve students who are not interested in traditional school.

“A lot of things have changed post-COVID, as we all know. Education does not look the same as it did pre-2020,” Believe founder Kimberly Neal-Brannum told Chalkbeat. “The three profiles come from our lived experience and what I not only see locally as trends with kids, but also nationally.”

The plan is a shift from the charter operator’s pitch to open a location in Pike Township — a proposal that faced vocal opposition from charter critics there when the Indianapolis Charter School Board approved Believe’s second school in 2022. The charter board approved the school before the creation of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which will determine which charter and traditional schools have access to school buildings while creating a transportation plan for both school types.

The model, based off of a similar Believe school in St. Louis, is an attempt to fill a need rather than fight to stay in a community opposed to a new charter school, Neal-Brannum said.

“We are not interested in just opening schools for the sake of opening schools,” she told the charter school board earlier this month. “We want to make sure that what we’re doing is in lockstep with what the community of Marion County needs.”

Believe Accelerator plans to serve about 100 students on the second floor of the Believe Circle City High School building located just off Fall Creek Parkway near the Crown Hill neighborhood. The size is smaller than the intended Believe Pike Academy, initially proposed to open in 2024 or 2025 and grow to 270 students.

The change in plan does not require any additional action from the Indianapolis Charter School Board, according to the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation that houses the charter board. Charter schools with substantive changes to their original application instead return to the board to convey those changes.

OEI will still determine if it would evaluate the school based on alternate academic metrics, said OEI director Shaina Cavazos.

The Accelerator is also modeled off of Believe’s Middle College school in St. Louis for students who previously dropped out or were at risk of not graduating. The school there also launched with a small cohort.

“We only started with 12 kids — we’re up to 50 now, in one year,” Neal-Brannum said of the St. Louis school. “That showed us that the demand for that type of model was high, and we’ve had great success with the students — high attendance rates, kids invested. And with that particular population, getting kids to just come in the building is half the battle.”

Believe Circle City, which opened in 2020 with 54 students, has since grown to 307 students and emphasizes earning free dual college credits or various certifications in high school. More than 90% of the school population is Black or Hispanic, and roughly 73% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, according to the latest state enrollment data.

Believe Circle City became the most recent charter to join the Innovation Network of autonomous schools within Indianapolis Public Schools, giving the school access to IPS transportation.

School leaders say they are still working on a transportation plan for Accelerator students.

IPEC will ultimately assume responsibility for transportation and buildings for district schools and for charter schools, although schools can opt out of giving up control of their buildings.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana charters edged traditional public schools in academic gains after COVID, study says

2026-05-20T11:00:00+00:00

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Indiana’s charter school students have experienced greater academic growth in the years following the pandemic than their peers in traditional public schools, according to a new preliminary analysis.

The study from eight researchers posted through Brown University’s Annenberg Institute also found that the gains were particularly pronounced for Black and Hispanic students, and for those who were among the lowest-performing and economically disadvantaged.

The findings could hold important lessons for how schools can recover from learning loss, and have sparked researcher interest in what tactics charter leaders adopted to do that. While there are many studies examining the impact of charter schools on student outcomes, the authors note that there has been almost no research on charter school performance since the pandemic.

The findings tracked students from 2017-18 to 2023-24, focusing on how ILEARN test scores improved from their baseline levels during the pandemic in 2020-21. They have prompted researchers to examine how certain schools responded in the years immediately following the 2020-21 school year.

“What really matters is, what is it that these schools were doing?” said Joseph Waddington of the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame, one of eight authors of the study. “We’re not so much interested in telling a story of how did this sector (perform) versus the other sector — we want to understand why. We want to understand the variation.”

The analysis, which is undergoing peer review, examined students who stayed in brick-and-mortar charter schools and in traditional public schools throughout the entire study period.

Charter students were matched with traditional public school peers who most closely resembled them based on a variety of factors, including their socioeconomic status, geographic location, and their 2021 ILEARN test score.

Most of the state’s charter schools are in Indianapolis, but the study also examined all counties in which charter schools are present. The analysis included few rural students, Waddington said, because of the lack of charters in those areas.

During the 2020-21 school year, charter students performed the same as their traditional public school peers in math and modestly outperformed them in English, according to the study. But after 2020-21, charter students outperformed traditional public students in all years in English, and nearly all years in math.

The difference was modest in 2021-22, but grew in 2022-23 and 2023-24, according to the study.

“The findings in this analysis suggest a shift occurred during the pandemic and its aftermath,” the study concludes. “Not only are students in Indiana’s charter schools experiencing more accelerated test score gains than their (traditional public school) peers, but these impacts appear to be growing over time in the post-pandemic period.”

Chronic absenteeism and instructional delivery — whether in-person or virtual — did not account for the differences in achievement, the study found. Charter schools were more likely to offer virtual learning for more of the 2020-21 school year than traditional public schools.

In Indianapolis, charter schools as a whole have posted higher rates of Black and Hispanic students reaching proficiency in both math and English, compared with those run by Indianapolis Public Schools, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of the 2025 ILEARN results.

The study’s authors are examining what could contribute to the differences in outcomes between charters and traditional public schools by surveying school leaders in both sectors across Indiana, Waddington said.

The changes could be attributed to additional instructional time, or differences in instructional type, such as having students spend more time in smaller pull-out groups, he said. He also said some schools may have added certain types of staff, or utilized certain partnerships to bring in tutors.

The study’s findings mirror broader research on charter school students’ performance that finds positive impacts for Black students, those from lower-income households, and the lowest-performing students, Waddington said.

But the researchers are hoping to learn more details from survey results about how schools responded to COVID learning loss.

“There may be something in the story about differences in how the sectors responded to the pandemic that can actually be illustrative for all sectors going forward in terms of best practices associated with learning loss recovery,” he said.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Arsenal Tech’s band program helps students form close friendships — and go to college

2026-05-18T11:00:00+00:00

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Joshua Camero stumbled upon the trumpet in fifth grade.

He had to choose an elective class, and although he was unsure about performing in front of people, his mother encouraged him to sign up for band.

“I started playing it, and I just really liked it,” he said. “I was quick to pick it up.”

By his junior year of high school, he would be among the few students at his school to qualify for the Indiana State School Music Association’s state competition. By his senior year, he would earn two gold ratings in the contest for solo trumpet performance.

Camero plans to earn a degree in music industry at the University of Indianapolis with financial aid he earned in part through his trumpet skills. He hopes to focus on artist management, while also “keeping the music very close.”

Arsenal Technical senior Joshua Camero will attend the University of Indianapolis to study the music industry. He earned a gold rating in solo trumpet performance at the Indiana State School Music Association this year.

Arsenal Technical senior Tennia Gleplay, who plays the cello and percussion, will attend IU Bloomington to study forensic science.

Cassietta Lewis, a senior at Arsenal Technical High School, hopes to become a therapist after attending IU Bloomington to study psychology.

Roseneika Saint Jules moved to the United States from Haiti as a teenager and graduates from Arsenal Technical this week. She plans to attend IU Indianapolis to study nursing.

Nick Saunders, who plays the saxophone and guitar, will study Japanese at IU Bloomington. He hopes to stay involved in music through the college's pep band.

This week, Camero is among roughly 1,200 Indianapolis Public Schools students graduating from the four district-run high schools as families across Marion County celebrate the Class of 2026 in May and June. The seniors are part of a graduating cohort of students that has grown statewide over the last three years: Last year, the state’s graduation rate was roughly 92%.

Camero is part of a tight-knit group of students in Arsenal Tech’s band and orchestra community. He’s one of five students in advanced band who will go to college in the fall with tuition fully or nearly fully covered through financial aid.

“I feel like no matter how big the school is, it’s really all about your happiness,” said senior Cassietta Lewis, who plays the clarinet and tenor saxophone at Arsenal. “I gained my friends here, and I still have them, and hopefully I still have them forever.”

School’s music programs became a pathway to college

Arsenal’s band program has recently become more of a pathway to graduation and college, as band director Josh Goodman has encouraged students to use their talents — musical and otherwise — to secure scholarships.

It began, Goodman said, with student Mercy Makanjuola, who joined the University of Notre Dame’s band in 2023 after learning to read music and play the saxophone at Arsenal.

“That was kind of the impetus for how everything happened — we just had to get one kid into a really great program, fully covered,” he said. “And then ... all the other kids were like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this.’”

Not all of Goodman’s college-going students attend specifically to study music. But the success of students like Mercy have served as inspiration for the students who follow, Goodman said.

Last year, four band students attended Indiana University through the Groups Scholars program that offers aid for first-generation college students or those with financial need, Goodman said. One even gained entry to IU Bloomington’s Jacobs School of Music after starting the trombone in band as a freshman in high school.

Arsenal Technical High School band members practice on Monday, April 27, 2026 in Indianapolis.

This year, the Arsenal seniors are part of a band that is the first in the district’s history to win the All-Music Award from the Indiana State School Music Association. The recognition is for schools who earn a gold rating in marching band, solo performances, ensemble performances, jazz, and concert band.

Lewis plans to study psychology at IU Bloomington, where she will be with her other bandmates, Tennia Gleplay and Nick Saunders.

Gleplay, a first-generation American whose parents are from Liberia, will study forensic science. But she still hopes to stay involved with music.

“I really do love it, and it takes up so much of my time,” she said. “I’m in so many bands here, I don’t know what I would do with myself if I didn’t play music.”

Saunders, meanwhile, has his sights set on studying Japanese and playing in a jazz group for non-music major students.

Camero, the trumpet player headed to the University of Indianapolis, now loves performing.

“You get so nervous and jittery,” he said. “But it’s what keeps you alive.”

He credits his elementary school teacher, Michele Pickard at Edison School of the Arts, with helping him start on his musical path. He’s looking forward to playing in concerts as part of the university’s pep band.

Nick Saunders, a senior at Arsenal Technical High School, plays the saxophone during a band rehearsal.

Roseneika Saint Jules, who plays the saxophone and percussion, will study nursing on a full scholarship at IU Indianapolis.

She arrived in the United States from Haiti as a freshman, and has had a lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. She has seen her grandmother struggle with knee issues.

“In Haiti, it’s difficult to go to the doctor,” she said. “I want to be the person to help out my grandma. I want to be the person to help others who are in need.”

To younger high school students, Saint Jules suggests finding the right support group when times get tough.

“Life is like a ball of problems,” she said. “Just find somewhere you belong. Just like we’re in band — that’s where we belong. We have a family. Just find a family like that.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools transfers unused land to Habitat for Humanity

2026-05-12T11:00:00+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools will give seven unused properties to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis to build up to 16 homes as part of a broader push to make affordable homeownership possible for IPS employees.

The parcels near existing IPS schools are mostly vacant — although one parcel by William McKinley School 39 has a playground and another has an old athletic field. The locations of the properties range from the west side of the district to the Martindale-Brightwood and Fountain Square neighborhoods.

The transfer is a rare contribution of unused land by IPS that comes at an increasingly challenging time for affordable homeownership in Indianapolis. The school board’s approval of the initiative last month accompanies another partnership that the district will launch with the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, which will provide finance and homeownership education for IPS employees seeking to buy homes. The group will also offer affordable lending opportunities.

IPS employees often cite housing costs as a reason for making early withdrawals from their retirement accounts, according to district officials.

“We’re really grateful when people present opportunities like this for collaboration,” said Abri Hochstetler, Habitat for Humanity’s vice president of development and communications. “It really is an all-ships-rise scenario, to bring in both INHP and Habitat to this conversation and to try to utilize community resources.”

Although the Habitat houses won’t be reserved exclusively for IPS employees, some could be eligible for homeownership through Habitat’s criteria.

IPS to partner with Habitat

Habitat preliminarily plans to build up to 16 houses across all the properties at a rate of roughly five homes per year for the next three years.

Habitat homes are available to families making no more than 80% of area median income, or roughly $88,560 for a family of four in the group’s 2025-26 cycle. Habitat homeowners must complete financial and home ownership courses and provide 200 volunteer hours, which could be spent building their home or the homes of others. Habitat then sells the home to the homebuyer, and currently offers mortgages with a 0% interest rate.

Vacant land at 2352 Columbia Avenue will be given to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis to build a home directly across the street from the now closed Francis W. Parker Montessori School 56.

“The goal of this would be to really proactively seek out qualifying IPS staff and teachers, particularly if they’re located near those school communities, and connect them to the Habitat process, ” Zach Mulholland, the district’s executive director of operations strategy, told the school board last month.

The parcels sit near George Washington High School, Matchbook Learning at Wendell Phillips School 63, School 39, and the now closed Francis W. Parker Montessori School 56.

IPS previously acquired the land to either support a previous building project or plan for future buildings, Mulholland said. Now, they are no longer needed for current or future projects.

The district’s transfer of mostly undeveloped land is a rare one for Habitat. Before 2018, 74% of Habitat’s land was donated, according to Hochstetler. But in the past two years, only 4% of the group’s lots have been donated — and since 2018 Habitat has seen a 324% increase in land costs.

“This land donation from IPS is really wonderful, because it’s allowing us to partner with a local organization and then also eliminate one of the earliest barriers to our work, which is land acquisition,” Hochstetler said.

IPS will also partner with the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, a nonprofit that helps people with low or moderate incomes achieve affordable homeownership.

The nonprofit will offer homeownership and financing education classes to groups of at least 10 employees at designated sites throughout the district. These classes cover successful renting, budgeting, and how to understand credit.

The group can also offer one-on-one advising on how to reduce debt or save for a down payment.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools announces $17 million in central office cuts for 2026-27

2026-05-12T00:17:52+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools announced $17 million in cuts to central office for next school year as the district grapples with a looming financial shortfall exacerbated by declining enrollment and changes to state law that will restrict property tax revenue.

The cuts, announced by Superintendent Aleesia Johnson on Monday, are in addition to the $7 million in school-based budget cuts the district announced in March. Those previous school-based reductions ultimately cut 36 teachers and 23 classified staff, while newly announced cuts to central office eliminated roughly 28 positions, Johnson said in a video.

In total, the positions represent roughly 2% of the district’s overall workforce of 3,709 employees.

“This is the hardest part, because these cuts represent people,” Johnson said. “Our teammates and our colleagues who have dedicated their work to serving our district and our students.”

The cuts come as IPS faces a broader existential challenge. Property tax reform lawmakers passed last year is expected to bring a loss of millions in property tax revenues to IPS and districts across the state. State lawmakers also created a new appointed body that will assume key financial powers previously reserved for the elected IPS school board.

The new nine-member Indianapolis Public Education Corporation board, appointed by the mayor, must tackle key resource questions to place district and charter schools on an even playing field. The board will have the power to set property tax rates for residents in IPS, as charter schools gradually receive more property taxes for operating expenses. The board will also take control of IPS buildings and transportation for the benefit of both district and charter schools.

But perhaps IPEC’s most pressing task is to decide whether or not to put a property tax increase to voters that could keep the district afloat.

Johnson said in Monday’s announcement that the reductions are a “proactive step in our advocacy” to IPEC board members.

“As we move toward a referendum, it is vital that we demonstrate to those decision makers — as well as to our broader community — that we’re committed to responsible and deliberate fiscal discipline,” Johnson said. “We want to ensure that what we ask of our taxpayers is balanced by clear evidence that we are tightening our own belt and managing our financial reality with integrity.”

Cuts include reductions in extracurricular buses, athletics

The central office cuts announced Monday include reductions in vendor contracts.

Johnson said that athletic offerings will remain intact, but the district will change how some athletics are offered in elementary and middle schools.

“This includes a shift toward elementary-level clinics and expanding our partnerships with community athletic organizations at the middle school level to ensure high-quality coaching instruction and continuity,” Johnson said.

The district will also no longer offer buses for extracurricular activities on Friday afternoons — including transportation to practices and tutoring.

But the district said in a statement that it will continue offering transportation to games and competitions that occur on Fridays. The district said cuts will not impact the number of extracurricular and internship opportunities for students.

Johnson also announced an increase in pre-K prices for next school year, citing the state’s “lack of educational funding for our youngest children.”

The pre-K tuition increase comes as the district reduces its number of pre-K sites by six. IPS began charging for pre-K this school year after the state cut preschool funding.

“For more than a decade, we’ve worked to operate efficiently — closing and consolidating buildings, reducing costs, improving how we provide goods and services, streamlining transportation and central office functions,” Johnson said. “Taken together, these decisions reflect a broader effort to examine everything we do and ensure every dollar is aligned to what matters the most: our students.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS plan for becoming a charter school authorizer focuses on enrollment, discipline, test scores

2026-05-07T18:11:56+00:00

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In its plan to become a charter school authorizer, the Indianapolis Public Schools board wants to use growth on state assessments, discipline, and enrollment targets to judge charters.

The school board submitted that information to the Indiana Department of Education last week. It’s the first step for IPS to become an authorizer, which has the power to allow charter schools to open and to close them.

Becoming an authorizer would give IPS more power over charters at a time when the school board is losing authority. Although state lawmakers limited the number of charter authorizers in IPS, they also created the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which will manage transportation and facility needs for both district and charter schools while also taking over the school board’s power to raise property taxes.

State law allows the IPS school board to become an authorizer. The board made an attempt to authorize charter schools after Indiana passed its charter law in 2001, but never authorized any. In a statement in December, the board said the move would be a “step toward unparalleled local accountability” that it said has been inconsistent among the state’s multiple charter authorizers.

In its authorizing plan, IPS also wants to draw on its work with the Innovation Network, in which the district grants some schools a greater degree of autonomy than traditional district-run schools while letting them use certain IPS resources.

Charter schools seeking authorization by IPS would begin the application process through a letter of intent submitted every March.

New charters would undergo a roughly eight-month application process that would require a mission plan, financial projections, and evidence of community support for a school. Existing high-performing charters could apply under a roughly four-month application timeline that includes an audit of their academic and financial history.

The district would have a standardized rubric to evaluate charter applications, which also would be reviewed by a panel of academic and external experts, the district said in its registration. District officials would also interview members of the school’s leadership team.

State law gives the State Board of Education 60 days to register the IPS school board as a charter authorizer. The district estimates opening its authorizing office in August.

IPS prioritizes academics, discipline, enrollment in charter evaluations

IPS plans to evaluate charter schools using the same academic, financial, and governance metrics it uses for its 30 Innovation Network schools, and which existing authorizers also frequently use to evaluate schools.

IPS created the Innovation Network schools, most of which are charters, after state lawmakers created “innovation” schools in 2014 as a way for autonomous and district schools to work together.

“We have built over a decade of relationships with charter schools with our Innovation partnerships,” Rachel Santos, director of external affairs for IPS, told the school board last week. “Our strategic vision is to say that we are continuing that work. We are well equipped to do it, with our office that already oversees 30 relationships.”

In the 11 years of the network’s existence, IPS has not renewed three schools — two of which were charter schools — citing concerns with academic performance. A fourth, Kindezi Academy charter school, closed after failing to agree with the district on a renewal agreement.

According to the information it submitted to the state education department, the district would consider proficiency in English and math on the state ILEARN exam, while also accounting for students’ year-to-year growth on these tests and how 10 specific student subgroups perform compared to their peers. These subgroups include Black and Hispanic students, as well as English language learners and students with disabilities.

The district does not specify exact ILEARN proficiency goals. Authorizers often compare a school’s performance to nearby schools with similar demographics.

The district would also aim for its charter schools to have a 90% pass rate on IREAD.

IPS would also set a 95% attendance rate target, and monitor suspension rates to “reward equitable discipline.”

The district would measure a school’s financial health by assessing the days of cash on hand, among other financial metrics. It would also assess schools on whether they reach at least 95% of their budgeted enrollment each year.

IPS would rate charters on their governance model based on compliance with the state’s Open Door Law, which deals with government transparency, and laws concerning students with disabilities. The district would also assess leadership stability and the charter school board composition to ensure that members offer a diverse set of skills.

Charter renewals would last up to 5 years

Although state law allows for authorizers to renew charters for up to 15 years, IPS would only offer charter terms for up to five years.

The deputy superintendent for IPS would oversee the district’s charter schools alongside the existing director of Innovation schools and director of strategy. The district projects that for those staffers, 30% of their work would be dedicated specifically to charter authorizing, IPS said in the information it submitted to the state.

The district projects an annual authorizing budget of $561,000 that would already be part of the district’s general fund.

IPS said it would implement an authorizing fee, which charters pay to their authorizer usually determined by a percentage of per-pupil state funding. But the district did not specify what percentage would be. State law allows authorizers to charge a fee of up to 3%.

Correction: This story was updated to accurately reflect the district’s history as a charter authorizer.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indy’s Crispus Attucks High School to receive new healthcare lab and gym via $44 million expansion

2026-05-06T19:35:19+00:00

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Wearing a photo of his grandmother around his neck, Crispus Attucks High School freshman Jahleil Thurton received a white coat at a Wednesday ceremony— a symbol of his entry into a healthcare fellowship at the school.

His grandmother’s work as a certified nursing assistant who emigrated from Belize inspired him to enter the three-year fellowship.

“I can fulfill the bigger things that she wasn’t able to do being an immigrant,” said Thurton, who hopes to become a neurosurgeon.

Thurton and his peers will soon have more resources to help them realize their aspirations. Crispus Attucks will undergo a $44 million campus expansion that will bring an additional gym and a new health lab. They’re due to open in 2028, just over 100 years after the Indianapolis school first opened its doors.

The project builds on the school’s existing healthcare pathway for students and its partnership with Indiana University Health, which will donate $25 million toward the project. IPS has set aside roughly $20 million in bonds to supplement IU Health’s $25 million gift.

The healthcare fellowship, which IPS and IU Health launched in 2021, seeks to diversify the healthcare profession by focusing on a school that is roughly 65% Black and 28% Hispanic. Crispus Attucks students apply to the program their freshman year, and if accepted, they enter a three-year fellowship that includes earning a certified nursing assistant and a certified medical administration assistant credential. This year, 40 students were accepted into the fellowship at a school of roughly 1,200.

Officials announced the addition on Wednesday after celebrating the school’s sixth cohort of students to enter the school’s healthcare fellowship, which provides students with internships and healthcare certifications throughout high school and concludes with job offers to be medical assistants or patient care technicians at IU Health after graduation.

Rising Crispus Attucks High School sophomore Seydi Oliva Mendez accepts her white coat from Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and certificate from IU Health CEO Dennis Murphy, far left, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at Crispus Attucks High School.

These students, who are currently freshmen, will be among the first to use the new building.

“This investment reflects how much we believe in you,” Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Aleesia Johnson told an auditorium of students and family members. “How much your community believes in you, believes in your potential, believes in your leadership, and, most importantly, believes in your future.”

The investment is a boon for Crispus Attucks, which opened in 1927 as a high school for Black students at a time of segregation, when the Ku Klux Klan had a powerful hold on local politics. The school was thrust into the national spotlight in the 1950s, when its Tigers basketball team became the first all-Black team in the nation to win a state championship.

Today, though, the school is the only IPS high school with just one gym. An atrium and commons area will connect the original building to the new addition on the south side of the school campus.

A rendering of the upcoming addition to Crispus Attucks High School that includes a new gym and lab space.

The new academic spaces include new lab rooms and a new technology lab. The new gym will meet Indiana High School Athletic Association standards and seat roughly 2,400 people. It will include home and visitor locker rooms, indoor concessions, and a weight room.

The IU Health gift is part of the medical system’s ongoing work with the Indy Health District, a nonprofit that seeks to improve quality of life in an area that runs from the northwest part of downtown up to Crown Hill Cemetery.

“To this community and to the people who are part of the Indy Health District: this is a continuation of IU Health’s pledge to invest in places and people who make Indianapolis Stronger,” said IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy.

Thurton, the freshman, said the bigger gym and healthcare facilities will inspire his classmates who care about school.

“For the people that want to go to school, I feel like that’s so amazing that they have the opportunity to be able to do that,” he said.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis high school students spend school day as poll workers during Primary Election

2026-05-05T20:17:28+00:00

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Cuylen Roberson slept through his 4 a.m. alarm on Tuesday — but he had three more set, just in case.

The Lawrence North High School senior woke up excited to serve as a poll worker on Primary Election Day, despite the rain that fell as he and four other students made their way to the high school to set up the voting site in the gym.

“I was nervous about it, but I was also excited,” Roberson said, recalling the legal aspects of the training he completed. “It just felt nice to do something to help where I’m needed.”

State law allows 16- and 17-year old high school students to serve as a clerk for an election, and lets minors with a GPA of at least 3.0 to do so, with the permission of their school principal and a parent or guardian. Like adult poll workers, these students also get paid for their time and can earn up to $180 for the day in Marion County.

Election offices across the state have used the law to help fill critical election roles. As a poll clerk, students can help set up voting sites and check voters in to receive their ballot. The job is a civic-minded way for students to get paid.

At Lawrence North, senior Alia Massey waved residents through the check-in process with the confidence of someone who has been working elections for years. She credits her civic engagement to her mother.

“Every chance that I get, my mom always pulls me in her room or she just stops and talks about something,” said Alia, who plans to join the military after graduating in May. “She’s like, ‘Okay, you need to watch this, because you need to actually know what’s going on.’”

Though Alia and most of the other student workers at the high school are already 18, they found out about the opportunity to work a poll site through a visit from the League of Women Voters to their school.

At the other end of the check-in table, Lawrence Central High School junior Jameon Gibson listed acceptable forms of identification to voters who trickled in.

“Is it going smoothly?” one woman asked him as she showed her identification.

“It is,” he said.

Lawrence North senior Kylie Atkinson said she wanted to experience what it would be like to assist in the voting process. Often, she said, it feels like she and her peers can’t be politically involved because of their age.

“If I get the experience myself, I can explain it to other people and explain how to do it to other people,” she said. “But I think it’s really important that you have all demographics represented in any kind of democracy.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Meet the 9 appointees who will control buildings and transportation for public schools in Indianapolis

2026-04-27T10:00:00+00:00

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Inadequate transportation. Declining enrollment. An impending financial cliff.

These are the challenges that the nine-member Indianapolis Public Education Corporation must tackle as it creates an educational ecosystem that gives district-run and charter schools equal access to resources while holding them to the same academic standards.

The new corporation has assumed key financial powers previously reserved for the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board. This includes the power to determine property tax rates for both IPS and charter schools beginning in 2027. In 2028, IPEC will assume responsibility for transportation and buildings for both district and charter schools.

The state law establishing IPEC gave Mayor Joe Hogsett the power to appoint all nine members. The law required three to be community members with certain expertise, three to be charter school leaders, and three to be members of the IPS school board.

Common themes connecting IPEC’s members include a history of working in or supporting charter schools, and promoting the importance of testing and alternatives to traditional school governance.

The IPEC board includes four charter school leaders, including one who founded the prominent Mind Trust nonprofit that has helped grow the city’s charter school sector. It also includes a prominent Republican lobbyist involved in a contentious suite of education policy changes adopted nearly 40 years ago that expanded Indiana’s power to take over underperforming schools, among other changes.

The board also includes IPS school board members elected with the backing of school choice supporters, and a founding board member of a charter school serving a large population of English language learners.

Asked about the new board’s connections to the charter school sector, Hogsett said through a spokesperson that he selected the members after an “extensive review process.” He said the most important factor in his decision to pick them was their focus on “the best interest of all the families and children living in the Indianapolis Public Schools boundary, regardless of the type of public school those families choose.”

Below are key facts about each member.

Patricia Castañeda, community leader

Patricia Castañeda has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of the city’s public institutions and the communities they serve.

She is a vice president at KeyBank’s Community Banking Group, and is a founding board member of Enlace Academy, a K-8 grade charter school on the northwest side. Currently, she is a member of the Goodwill Education Initiatives Board, which oversees the The Excel Center adult high schools.

Castañeda was born in Lima, Peru. She briefly attended Ben Davis High School before graduating. Her two sons graduated from Shortridge High School.

Patricia Castañeda, vice president of Key Bank, is sworn in as a member of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation at its first public meeting.

In 2000, Castañeda became the first Hispanic services coordinator at the Marion County prosecutor’s office — a role built largely on direct outreach.

Castañeda also co-chaired the Indianapolis Race and Cultural Relations Leadership Network during the multiyear dispute over “E Pluribus Unum” — a commissioned sculpture of a freed Black slave planned for the Cultural Trail near the City-County Building. The project drew widespread objections and was eventually cancelled in 2011.

“That’s really where you learn,” Castañeda said of debates about the sculpture. “So sometimes it comes with a lot of ire, yes, and it’s OK, that’s how we grow, and that’s how we heal and grow together.”

She later worked for the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority.

Castañeda said her role on IPEC is to share community perspectives. She wants to ensure schools are safe and accessible for all students.

Castañeda said the new board’s credibility will rest on what it does, not what it says.

“Actions speak louder than words,” she said. “If we’re saying we’re going to be transparent, then we want to make sure that we are transparent.”

John R. Hammond III, community leader

John R. Hammond III helped former Gov. Robert D. Orr push a sweeping education overhaul through the Indiana General Assembly in 1987. The package known as A-Plus required student achievement exams and created a new accreditation system based on school performance.

Hammond said that sort of experience can inform his work with the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation. He also believes IPEC can bring stability to all city schools.

“This is really the right approach to really begin to get our hands around some of the issues that have created some of the financial concerns,” Hammond said, “so that we can really serve these kids, no matter where they come from or what school they’re served in.”

John Hammond, partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister law firm, attends the first IPEC meeting virtually.

Hammond served as Orr’s senior executive assistant for legislative affairs and education policy from 1981 to 1988. He was later a partner at Ice Miller and is now a partner at Taft’s public affairs strategies group. He represented Indiana on the Republican National Committee for 12 years and is a founding board member of Herron Classical Schools, led by fellow IPEC member Janet McNeal.

Hammond has lived in the IPS district for 36 years. His wife, Diana Hamilton, served on the IPS Foundation in the early 2000s.

“I feel committed to the Center City,” Hammond said, “and that’s what we’ve made our home and our living.”

David Harris, charter school leader and IPEC board chair

David Harris is the CEO of Christel House International, a global nonprofit school operator that’s the umbrella organization for Christel House Indianapolis, which runs three charter schools and an adult charter school network in Indianapolis. Those schools provide their own transportation and include two schools and an adult high school that operate in an IPS-owned building.

When Harris worked in Mayor Bart Peterson’s administration as an assistant deputy mayor, he supported the state’s charter school law that gave the mayor the power to authorize charter schools. He then served as charter school director for the city, a position known today as the executive director of the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

Harris later founded the influential Mind Trust nonprofit in 2006, which has helped launch most of the city’s charter schools and recruit many charter leaders.

David Harris, CEO of Christel House, is sworn in at the IPEC's first meeting. Harris serves as chair.

Harris left the Mind Trust to help found the City Fund, a national education organization that raised millions to promote school reform in several major cities, including Indianapolis.

Harris said the city’s quality of education has improved over the past few decades, but that it’s “not anywhere near as good as it needs to be.”

“This is an opportunity for all schools to get better,” he said.

Harris said IPEC’s work will allow all schools to focus their energy on education without having to be “consumed with operational challenges that are a headache.”

Janet McNeal, charter school leader

Janet McNeal, president at Herron Classical Schools, knows what it’s like to work in different kinds of schools.

After a short stint teaching in South Korea, she spent 10 years as an English teacher at a public school district in southern Indiana. She worked for another 10 years at Cathedral High School — a private, Catholic school near Lawrence.

After that, she helped launch a new classical arts charter school in 2006, Herron High School, working closely with Harris of the city’s charter school office.

Herron High School quickly cemented itself as a top academic performer in the city, though the school has historically served fewer economically disadvantaged students and English language learners than other IPS schools.

Janet McNeal, president of Herron Classical Schools, is sworn in at the first IPEC meeting.

In 2016, McNeal started a second high school, Herron-Riverside. The school, located in the former Heslar Naval Armory, serves a student body more demographically and academically similar to IPS than Herron High.

The charter network opened its first K-8 school, Herron Preparatory Academy, in 2021.

Students attending Herron High and Herron Prep Academy get to school primarily through parent drop-offs or discounted rides with IndyGo. Herron Classical Schools has offered limited transportation in recent years to Herron-Riverside students.

McNeal is considering whether to opt her schools into a shared facilities system like one IPEC could create, though it’s unlikely the charter network would want to relinquish its buildings. Herron Classical Schools owns all three of its school properties.

“We did not build our buildings on taxpayers’ dollars,” McNeal said. “We built our buildings on fundraising.”

Eddie Rangel, community leader

Eddie Rangel, founding CEO of Adelante Schools, listens during IPEC's first meeting.

Eddie Rangel is the founder and CEO of Adelante Schools, which took over Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School as a part of an IPS plan to improve chronically underperforming schools.

School choice shaped Rangel’s life trajectory as a child in California. His parents found a way to enroll him into a different district school — which had a strong music program — than the one he was zoned for.

Rangel became the first in his family to graduate college, where he studied music education and performance. He came to Indianapolis in 2012 through Teach For America and taught at Key Learning Community School in IPS.

He later became a principal in the Tindley charter school network.

Rangel was also a fellow in the Mind Trust’s Innovation School Fellowship, launching Adelante in 2020 as a charter operator that would take over Emma Donnan. As an IPEC board member, he hopes to draw on his experience building back the trust of the Emma Donnan community.

“It’s important to approach this work with humility, which is something that we leaned heavily into as we embarked on leading Emma Donnan,” he said. “For the IPEC role, it’s important to recognize that no single model or perspective will have all of the answers — especially in a system as complex as Indianapolis.”

Hope Duke Star, IPS school board president

Hope Duke Star was elected to the school board in 2022, serving an area that represents core Indianapolis neighborhoods from Meridian-Kessler to Martindale-Brightwood. She earned the backing of Stand for Children Indiana and RISE Indy, which have supported charter schools.

Star grew up in the area she now represents. She attended the district’s former Northwest High School and was the first in her family to graduate college with the help of the Association for Loan Free Education, which focused on helping first-generation college students.

Hope Duke Star, IPS board president, sits with members of the IPEC board at the group's first meeting.

She later worked for that same organization and served as a dean at North Central High School and a counselor at the KIPP Indy charter network.

Star’s past few years on the board have featured numerous battles between supporters of charter schools and IPS. During her tenure, the school board has also called for a moratorium on new schools.

As she serves on the IPEC board, she hopes that the city’s education leaders are willing to do what’s fair.

“I’m hopeful that we won’t continue to open schools while we try to clean up what we’ve already created and make what we have make sense,” she said.

Dexter Taylor, charter school leader

Dexter Taylor is the director of Paramount Schools of Excellence’s K-8 Brookside campus, one of five Paramount schools in Indianapolis.

He worked for the Carmel-Clay school district for about five years before joining the Paramount network of charter schools in 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile. Taylor eventually became school director in May 2019.

The network is known for its rigorous academics. Paramount Brookside consistently reports strong math and reading test scores. But parents have raised concerns about school discipline.

Dexter Taylor, director of Paramount Brookside, is sworn in as a member of the IPEC board at the group's meeting.

A recent WFYI analysis found that last school year, Paramount schools suspended students with disabilities at a rate about three times higher than the state average.

School leaders told WFYI last fall that suspensions are lower than past years due to increased training for teachers.

Taylor was not available for an interview before the deadline for this story.

Paramount currently operates buses for just two of its Indianapolis campuses — Andrew J. Brown Academy and Girls in STEM Academy. According to property records, Paramount owns all but one of its buildings that fall within the IPS boundary.

Its Englewood school shares space in the PR Mallory Campus on East Washington Street with Purdue Polytechnic High School.

Ashley Thomas, IPS school board member

Ashley Thomas serves as the District 1 IPS commissioner, where she represents portions of the far east and southeast sides. She was first drawn to advocacy more than a decade ago when her son’s IPS school was targeted for a major overhaul.

After several years of failing grades from the state, George H. Fisher School 93 was converted into an Innovation charter school — a type of school still in the IPS system but run by its own board.

Ashley Thomas, IPS board member, speaks during the first IPEC board meeting.

To learn more about that change, Thomas started attending workshops organized by Stand for Children. It wasn’t long before she began facilitating workshop discussions

“Our school felt like a forgotten-about school,” Thomas said. “I got to see the picture of what it looks like when parents, students, teachers and leaders all work together collaboratively.”

Thomas then spent almost eight years as an organizer with Stand for Children. She worked for another two years with RISE Indy before running for IPS school board in 2024.

Thomas was endorsed by Stand for Children. Campaign finance records show she accepted donations from Stand, RISE Indy, and several high-profile leaders in the charter sector.

“Stand’s endorsement committee were all parents that had kids in different schools from different public school types,” Thomas said. “I’m honored to be endorsed by parents.”

She also chairs the board’s legislative committee and runs an education consulting business. Her children attend Believe Circle City High School and Paramount Brookside.

The single mom of three said all of these experiences will inform her work on the new IPEC board.

Deandra Thompson, IPS school board member

Deandra Thompson is an IPS at-large school board member and founder of A Learning Bee Academy, an early learning center.

She previously served on the founding leadership team of Providence Cristo Rey High School, a private Catholic school. She also served as national director of enrollment for the Phalen Leadership Academies charter school network.

Deandra Thompson, one of three IPS board members appointed to the IPEC board, listens during the first IPEC meeting.

Thompson, who has a third grader in public school, was elected to the school board in 2024 with the backing of Stand and RISE Indy.

Thompson has said that she sees the value in having appointed members of a public board who can offer expertise in areas such as business or finance. The three IPS school board members on the IPEC board, she said, will ensure that the community is involved in the corporation’s work.

“I think we have to trust the people that were voted for, for one,” she said of IPS school board members on the new corporation board. “And trust that we can come together and make sure we bring community along with us.”

Correction: This story was updated to include the correct email addresses for Janet McNeal and Hope Duke Star.

Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her atcarley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X@carleylanich.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Eric Weddle is WFYI’s education editor. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org or follow him on X at@ericweddle.

What does a school board do, anyway? The answer is changing for IPS and charters — here’s your guide.

2026-04-01T14:54:39+00:00

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Big changes are coming to Indianapolis Public Schools and the power of its elected board.

The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, or IPEC, is a new public entity with a nine-member board announced on Tuesday. The corporation will have the power to determine property tax rates on behalf of both IPS and charter schools. It will also eventually be responsible for running transportation and managing IPS buildings for both school types.

But the IPS school board — and the school boards of more than 50 charters within district borders — will still retain some powers over the day-to-day operations of schools.

While the IPS school board manages traditional district schools, charter school boards oversee one school or multiple schools that are part of the same charter network. Charter schools that are part of the district’s Innovation Network are run by their charter school board and not the IPS school board.

Lawmakers created IPEC to manage key aspects of both school types.

State law dictates the roles and responsibilities of the IPS and charter school boards. Below is a breakdown of their major responsibilities, how board members are selected, and what rules may change with the creation of the new corporation.

Who can serve on school boards and IPEC?

The IPS board is a seven-member board elected by residents who live within IPS borders, with two at-large members and five members who each represent a district.

Charter school boards — including those in the IPS Innovation Network — are not elected. Charter schools typically list their founding proposed board members in the application they submit to the authorizer, which must include a governance plan. Each charter school may have its own rules on board composition, including the number of board members, their term length, and the process for filling a vacant board seat. (The five Innovation schools that are not charters also have their own unelected boards.)

Charter school boards are ultimately accountable to charter school authorizers, which approve new charter schools and have the power to revoke or not renew the contracts that allow charter schools to operate.

Beginning in April, the only entities that can authorize charter schools within IPS boundaries are the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, the Indiana Charter School Board, and the IPS school board, which has expressed interest in becoming an authorizer.

An Indiana law adopted last year also requires charter schools receiving property taxes — nearly every charter in the city, excluding virtual schools and adult high schools that do not qualify for such funding — to have one member appointed by the mayor.

Mayor Joe Hogsett’s Office of Education Innovation told Chalkbeat last year that Hogsett tapped existing members of the city’s charter school boards for those appointments.

State lawmakers created IPEC earlier this year. It has a nine-member board appointed by the mayor. Three members come from the IPS school board, three come from the charter sector, and three are experts in areas related to the corporation’s work, such as facilities, transportation, or working with vulnerable students.

What are the financial responsibilities of school boards and IPEC?

The IPS board sets and approves an annual budget, and is required by state law to approve contracts above $75,000.

But the new IPEC board will assume control of key financial powers previously held by the IPS school board.

Most notably, the IPEC board will set the tax rates for residents living in IPS boundaries beginning in 2027, taking into account funding needed for charter schools as well.

That means that future district budgets will need to be crafted based on the funding that it receives through IPEC’s formula — a funding source that IPS had historically exclusively controlled.

And beginning this year, the IPS school board loses the authority to put a referendum for additional property taxes on the ballot. Instead, the IPEC board assumes that authority.

The county auditor will then distribute property taxes to both district and charter schools through formulas that are both dictated in state law and created by IPEC.

IPEC will also assume the responsibility of issuing debt to fix school buildings throughout the district, a power previously reserved for the IPS school board.

Although charter boards are also responsible for their school’s finances, they are less affected by the creation of IPEC than the IPS board. Charter boards approve and oversee the school’s annual budget, and control the state and federal funds the charter school receives. The charter school board can also apply for public or private grants, and also must submit an annual audit to the state.

But because charter schools have historically not received property tax funds, charter school boards do not control property tax rates.

What else are school boards and IPEC responsible for?

The IPS board selects a superintendent to run the day-to-day operations of the district. The superintendent, in turn, makes employment recommendations to the board, which approves the hiring or firing of employees.

The IPS board also sets policies that help guide the district, the superintendent, and IPS employees in their daily operations. These policies can include rules on transportation, homework, field trips, and athletics, for example.

Similarly, charter boards can hire or dismiss school leaders and approve policies that help the school function on a daily basis — such as a hiring policy or a policy on electronic student devices.

IPEC, meanwhile, will assume responsibility for transportation and buildings for district and charter schools in the 2028-29 school year. Charter schools can choose not to cede control of their buildings to IPEC, although they would forfeit a portion of property taxes by doing so.

What powers will the IPS board keep, even with IPEC?

The IPS board will still retain authority over many day-to-day district operations.

For example, the IPS board will still set an annual budget for the district based on its state and local property tax funding. The board will also still retain control over the superintendent, oversee hiring and firing of employees, and set the policies that establish how schools run on a daily basis.

When and where do school boards meet?

Both the IPS board and charters are subject to the state’s Open Door Law, which requires the posting of every meeting at least 48 hours in advance at the district’s main office.

The IPS board typically meets at district headquarters at 120 E. Walnut St., and has a calendar of upcoming meetings on its website. Many charter schools also post their upcoming board meetings on their website.

The IPEC board is also subject to the Open Door Law, although information on its meeting schedule and location has not yet been made public.

Correction: This story was corrected to reflect that the county auditor distributes property taxes.

This story was also updated to reflect that IPEC will set property tax rates for IPS and charter schools, and that both state law and IPEC will determine how property taxes are distributed by the county auditor.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Education Corporation members announced by Mayor Hogsett

2026-03-31T21:48:42+00:00

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Mayor Joe Hogsett announced the members of the new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation on Tuesday.

The nine-member board represents a significant change to education in Indianapolis. The corporation will oversee buildings and transportation for district and charter schools, while also assuming the power to collect property taxes. The board will also create a system of accountability that officials could use to decide which schools close.

These changes diminish the power of school boards including the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board. School boards will still have power over day-to-day policy decisions like setting their budgets and curriculums, and they’ll maintain the power to hire and fire the superintendent or school leaders for charter schools.

The corporation’s members are:

Hope Star, IPS board president.
Ashley Thomas, IPS board member.
Deandra Thompson, IPS board member.
David Harris, president and CEO of Christel House International.
Janet McNeal, president of Herron Classical Schools charter network.
Dexter Taylor, director of Paramount Brookside charter school.
Patricia Castañeda, vice president of Key Bank.
John Hammond, partner at the Taft Stettinius & Hollister law firm.
Edward Rangel, founding CEO of Adelante Schools charter network.

Harris, who served as charter schools director under former mayor Bart Peterson and later helped found the Mind Trust nonprofit that helps launch charter schools, will serve as the IPEC board chair.

The board was created by state lawmakers in this year’s legislative session following recommendations issued by the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, or ILEA, which met in the second half of 2025. The state law establishing the corporation says that three of its nine members must be charter school leaders, three must be IPS school board members, and three must be experts in areas related to the corporation’s work, such as capital planning or transportation.

The board would assume key powers over finances and referendums beginning this year, and would begin managing school property and transportation in 2028.

“These dedicated leaders possess the expertise necessary to ensure our schools are able to operate efficiently and serve our students equitably,” Hogsett said in a statement. “I believe in their combined ability to make the difficult – but important – decisions that will create a sustainable public school system in Indianapolis for years to come.”

The city also extended its contract with Michael O’Connor of Bose Public Affairs, who led the ILEA through its brainstorming sessions last year. The original contract, paid for by the city with a maximum cost of $340,000, allowed the city to renew its agreement with O’Connor to help implement the ILEA’s recommendations. The extension runs through May and allows for an additional maximum of $200,000.

The date of the corporation’s first meeting has not been announced.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools board approves cuts in 2026-27 budget, with more looming

2026-03-27T02:21:00+00:00

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With a financial shortfall looming, the Indianapolis Public Schools board approved a roughly $490 million operating budget for the 2026-27 school year on Thursday that includes $7 million in cuts to schools.

The vote came after criticism from parents and teachers over what they called a lack of transparency from the district, which communicated budget cuts in a video earlier this month after weeks of rumors.

Next year’s budget is a turning point for IPS as it confronts declining enrollment, recent property tax reforms, and a requirement to share property taxes with charter schools. Lawmakers recently created the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which will assume the power to levy taxes and request referendums instead of IPS.

To cut costs, some schools will share “specials” teachers — those teaching art or P.E., for example. The district already implemented that strategy at some schools for this year, and which parents opposed.

IPS is also listing fewer prekindergarten sites for next school year. At least five schools that offer preK this year aren’t on the list for 2026-27.

In public comment on Tuesday, teachers affected by the cuts expressed frustration with the district’s communication and its decision to remove them from their schools and students.

Emily Schunke, who said she was displaced from her school as a specials teacher last year and will be left without a job at her current school next year, said that she felt reduced to a number after 15 years of service.

“My parents taught me if I was professional, had integrity, and was loyal to my employer they would take care of me,” she said. “IPS has proven my parents wrong.”

Jamie Thompson, a prekindergarten teacher at Clarence Farrington School 61 — one of the sites that have dropped prekindergarten for next year — said that she’s received no guidance from her principal or the district since being told in late February that she won’t have a job at her school next year.

“Having neared 40 years of experience and dedication to this district, I still find it hard to believe that my time and commitment can be ended with, ‘We don’t need you next year,’ claiming it’s in the students’ best interest,” she said.

The 2026-27 budget includes the last portion of the voter-approved tax increase passed in 2018, estimated at $24 million, according to district financial documents. If voters don’t approve another such referendum this November, the financial situation will worsen. IPS said it hasn’t modeled financial plans to consider if a November referendum doesn’t pass.

Even with the $7 million in cuts, IPS still anticipates ending the 2026-27 school year with a $5 million dollar deficit. If voters approve the referendum, it could be used to fill the projected hole, according to the district.

In a mid-March video announcing plans for those cuts, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson alluded to additional future reductions.

“As for district-level budget reductions, you can expect to hear more from me and my team about tradeoff conversations and the strategies we will deploy as we move through the next couple of months of this school year and beyond,” she said.

The district hasn’t announced any additional cuts.

Charter schools receive property tax, referendum dollars

Charter schools, which enroll about 40% of students living in IPS borders, will receive roughly $13 million in local property taxes in 2026-27, according to district estimates.

Charter schools that are part of the district’s Innovation Network are projected to receive $2 million for next school year from the 2018 operating referendum — part of an agreement the district approved in 2021 to give these schools $500 per pupil from that funding source.

Marion County charters enrolling students who live in IPS boundaries will receive a collective $11 million next school year through a state law passed in 2021.

Budget anticipates decrease in tax base

The budget assumes minimal growth in state funding while both enrollment and year-over-year property values decline.

Property tax reforms that lawmakers approved last year curb the growth in property values to bring relief to homeowners. But that change will also affect government revenue.

The budget accounts for state funding at $8,370 per pupil including the base amount given to every student and the Complexity Grant for students from low-income households or in foster care — a 1.3% increase over last year.

CFO Weston Young has said that state per-pupil funding hasn’t kept pace with inflation. Adjusting that funding for inflation would put the amount at about $10,000 per pupil, according to the district.

Transportation, other costs increase

Next year’s budget projects $42 million in transportation costs, up from the $41 million the district projected spending for this school year as of February. Administrative support costs will increase from the $30 million the district anticipated spending this year to $31 million for next year.

But the district said in a statement that the budget appropriation for administrative support doesn’t take into account future budget reductions.

The district estimates spending $112 million on general education costs that include the recently approved teacher and support staff raises, compared with the $110 million projected for this year, and $48 million on special education compared with $47 million projected this year.

The new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation must certify a referendum for the November ballot by August.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools board taps Hasaan Rashid to fill vacant seat

2026-03-27T02:11:19+00:00

Indianapolis Public Schools board members tapped Hasaan Rashid to fill the vacant District 2 seat on the board in a 4-2 vote on Thursday.

Rashid, who founded a music festival on the northeast side to benefit high school students, will serve on the board until the November election. Rashid has expressed interest in running for the seat at that time.

Rashid and education professor Bryan Duarte were the only two applicants for the District 2 seat previously held by Gayle Cosby, who stepped down earlier this month. They represent two sides of a major divide in the Indianapolis education landscape. Rashid drew support from school choice advocates, while Duarte was backed by traditional public school supporters.

In interviews this week, both applicants said they would prioritize student outcomes over school type.

Board members Angelia Moore, Ashley Thomas, Deandra Thompson, and Hope Duke Star voted for Rashid, while Allissa Impink and Nicole Carey voted for Duarte.

Rashid ran for the seat in 2024, receiving support from groups supportive of school choice. Cosby won.

In his interview with the board on Tuesday, Rashid stressed his relationship with the community as an asset.

“People know me. When I go to the grocery store, they know who I am,” he said. “I still get questions about, ‘Hey are you going to throw your hat back in the ring?’”

In his interview on Tuesday, Duarte noted his interactions with the IPS Parent Council. The group formed in support of traditional IPS schools during a heated legislative session last year in which lawmakers required the district to share more funding with charters. In public meetings over the last year he questioned the creation of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which is taking significant power away from the elected school board.

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IPS school board interviews applicants for vacant District 2 seat

2026-03-25T00:29:12+00:00

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An assistant professor and a community advocate have applied to fill the vacant District 2 seat on the Indianapolis Public Schools board.

The board interviewed Bryan Duarte and Hasaan Rashid at a meeting on Tuesday ahead of its vote on Thursday to fill the seat. Former board member Gayle Cosby announced her resignation from the seat earlier this month, citing health challenges.

The board is expected to select the new member at its action session on Thursday.

The new board member will serve until the next general election in November, when the seat will be on the ballot along with three others.

Duarte is an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at Purdue University. In public meetings held over the last year, Duarte has advocated for a fully elected school board to maintain control over public schools and has questioned the creation of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which lawmakers established earlier this year to oversee certain aspects of public schools’ operations. (Duarte has stated that his comments or desire to apply for the seat are not reflective of the university).

Rashid is the founder of the annual Brendon Park Live Music Festival, which offers scholarships to graduating seniors. He also ran against Cosby for the District 2 seat in 2024. In that election, he won the endorsement of Stand for Children Indiana — a parent advocacy group that has supported expanding high-performing charter schools — and RISE Indy, which runs education-focused programs for district and charter schools and has connections to prominent school choice advocates.

The newest commissioner will join the board at a particularly fraught time for the district. IPS, which already projects ending the year with a $40 million cash deficit, will run out of money without an additional property tax increase that voters must approve on the November ballot.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, whose members will be appointed by the mayor, will assume control over buildings and transportation for district and charter schools. It will also assume many powers historically reserved for the elected school board — including the ability to collect and levy property taxes and control school buildings.

Both applicants said they would consider running for the District 2 seat in November.

At the interview Tuesday, Duarte stressed his experience as a former teacher and his educational research background. Rashid, meanwhile, emphasized his connection with District 2 as a community leader.

Both said they would set aside differences between school types — a divisive topic as relations between advocates for traditional and charter schools have soured in recent years — and focus on student outcomes.

Asked about the district’s current financial challenges, Rashid said property tax caps that lawmakers implemented in 2010 have limited the district’s revenue.

“Some things are going to have to be cut and we have to be clear and concise on what is best for the students,” he said.

Duarte said IPS has been good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and also said state legislation has adversely impacted the district. The district needs to ensure it does not exacerbate inequalities in any potential budget cuts, he said.

“I’m unwilling to compromise on meeting the needs of the people who have historically been left out of choice,” he said.

The school board will vote at 6 p.m. on Thursday at 120 E. Walnut St.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools announces proposed $7 million cut to school budgets as deficit looms

2026-03-13T19:26:03+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools plans to cut $7 million from school budgets next school year as it faces an impending financial shortfall.

The cuts could impact anything from staffing to school supply budgets as the district projects ending the year with a $40 million cash deficit that will grow in the coming years without additional voter-approved funding. The school board will vote on the budget for next school year on March 26.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said in a video on Thursday that the proposed budget cuts would affect each school differently, as principals made “tough budget choices” for their schools over the past several weeks.

“Because every school is unique and factors like academic programming, enrollment, and student needs shape a school’s budget, there’s not a one-size-fits-all summary of changes happening across our schools for next year,” Johnson said.

Johnson didn’t list specific cuts in her announcement, and the IPS board won’t vote on the proposed reductions until March 26. But at least two schools have already notified parents about how they are planning to change staffing for next year.

The IPS website is also listing fewer schools for next school year that offer prekindergarten than offered it this year. Johnson did not mention cuts to pre-K services in her Thursday announcement. The district did not respond to requests for comments about whether there will be fewer pre-K sites next year.

The announcement comes as IPS faces increasing financial pressure from a variety of factors: Recent state property tax reform, and a requirement to share property taxes with charter schools, will result in less funding. The district will run out of money if voters don’t pass an operating referendum in November. And like districts nationwide, IPS is grappling with student enrollment declines that affect budgets, which are heavily reliant on per-pupil funding from the state.

Certain teachers to be shared across IPS schools

Before Johnson’s announcement Thursday, some schools announced that they would share teachers designated as “specials” or “studio” — those teaching art or music, for example — with another school next school year. The district adopted the move last year at some schools despite parents’ protests.

Principals at Butler Lab School 55 and Center for Inquiry School 27 told parents over the last few weeks that the specials split would affect their schools next year due to declining enrollment.

“While the minutes of the time your children are in Studio class would not be different from this year, it will be different in timing (days of the week),” Butler Lab 55 Principal Sarah Clark said in an email to families last month.

Clark said the school would also share its English as a New Language teacher with another school in the district, since the number of students identified as English language learners has decreased in the last two years.

The family and community engagement liaison, she said, would also become a part-time position.

Center For Inquiry School 27, meanwhile, would share its specials teachers with Sidener Academy for High Ability students, Principal Hilary Duvall said at a parent-teacher-student association meeting this week.

Johnson said that she will share district-level budget cuts at some point in the future.

“Please know that as we consider decisions to meet our budget, what will remain my number one priority is our students’ access to a high-quality and robust student experience,” she said.

List of IPS prekindergarten sites grows smaller

At least five schools that offer prekindergarten this year are not listed on the district’s website as offering prekindergarten for 2026-27.

The district’s prekindergarten population dropped from 836 last school year to 691 this school year, state enrollment records show. Expanding prekindergarten sites was a core tenet of the district’s Rebuilding Stronger reorganization proposal.

Only one site expanded under Rebuilding Stronger — Garfield School 31 — is not listed as a prekindergarten site for next year, according to an analysis of the district’s published list for next school year and the schools that currently offer prekindergarten.

The district began charging for prekindergarten this school year, citing changes to state funding for prekindergarten and legislative changes that have affected the district’s finances.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools board seeks applicant for vacant District 2 seat

2026-03-13T17:56:19+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board is accepting applications for people interested in filling the vacant role of District 2 commissioner on the IPS school board.

The effort to fill the vacant seat follows the resignation of Gayle Cosby, who said this week that she would step down on Friday due to ongoing health concerns.

The board said on Friday that it is accepting applications, which are available online, until 5 p.m. on March 20.

The appointee selected by the IPS board will serve in the seat until the next election on Nov. 3, when state law dictates voters must choose a new District 2 commissioner to serve until the term ends in 2028.

Three other seats will also be up for election in November: Hope Duke Star’s District 3 seat, Nicole Carey’s District 5 seat, and the at-large seat currently held by Angelia Moore. Those terms will end in 2030.

The election will be the first since lawmakers passed a law to allow partisan school board elections and since the creation of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation.

The corporation will oversee buildings and transportation for district and charter schools while also assuming the power to collect property taxes — changes that significantly diminish the elected school board’s power. The IPS board, however, would still retain the power to hire and fire the superintendent and oversee other day-to-day policy decisions, such as selecting curriculum or crafting its own budget.

Candidates for the appointed seat must have lived in District 2 — which encompasses parts of the Near Eastside and the Far Eastside — for at least one year, the district said in an announcement. They must also not have any felony convictions unless those convictions were pardoned, reversed, vacated, or set aside.

The board will select three finalists in a closed-door session on March 23 and will interview finalists in a public session at 6 p.m. on March 24.

The board will vote on the appointee on March 26.

Interested applicants can contact board administrator Leslie-Ann James with questions at boardofcommissioners@myips.org or 317-226-2056.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis charter school switches authorizers, avoiding potential closure

2026-03-12T17:40:05+00:00

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An east side charter school successfully switched authorizers on Thursday and avoided a looming decision that could have led to its closure.

The Education One board approved Rooted School Indianapolis for two separate charters. One charter gives Rooted the green light to continue operating its 7-12 school within Eastern Star Church in the Arlington Woods neighborhood. The other gives Rooted permission to launch a K-6 school, starting with sixth grade in 2028.

Thursday’s decision is a lifeline for the school of roughly 150 students, which aims to give students a path to financial freedom with high-wage careers. The approval comes just weeks before Education One will lose its ability to authorize schools within Indianapolis Public Schools borders.

Authorizers grant charter schools permission to open and operate, and can revoke or not renew their charter at the end of its term for various issues.

The approval came despite concern from its current authorizer — the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, or OEI — that the school was trying to change authorizers in order to avoid accountability. In a letter sent to Education One last month, OEI Director Shaina Cavazos said the office was preparing not to renew the school’s charter, a decision that could have led the school to shut down.

Education One director Emily Gaskill took a different view.

“The proposed transfer to another authorizer should not be interpreted as an effort of the school to avoid accountability,” Gaskill said at the meeting. “If anything, when someone moves to us, there is going to be an automatic increase in accountability.”

Rooted’s founder, Ma’at Lands, told Chalkbeat last week that the school had been considering a change in authorizers since October and was attracted to Education One’s support systems and frequent in-person school visits.

Education One disputes concerns about Rooted charter school

The charter school and OEI haven’t seen eye-to-eye on a variety of issues.

In 2022, for example, OEI put Rooted on notice for failing to comply with laws for English language learner students, including providing a teacher of record for English language learner students. The office also took issue with the school’s teacher licensure rate of 50%, which is below the state law requiring a 90% rate for charter schools.

Lands said the school later addressed the teacher-of-record requirement, and OEI later confirmed with the school that it boosted its teaching licensure rates.

OEI also took issue with the school’s enrollment, noting that Rooted missed enrollment targets for 2022-23 and 2023-24 by over 10%. The school has grown from 58 ninth-grade students in 2020 to 153 this school year, according to enrollment records.

In a letter to Education One, Cavazos also noted concerns about Rooted’s academic outcomes.

Roughly 21% of Rooted’s seventh- and eighth-graders reached proficiency in English on the state’s latest ILEARN exam and roughly 10% reached proficiency in math — although other schools in OEI’s portfolio show lower results. The most recent SAT results indicate that just 1 of 20 students met the state-designated benchmark in both the English and math sections.

But at Education One’s Thursday meeting, Gaskill noted that the school met or exceeded most standards, based on a recent site visit from OEI. And she said the office was only looking at enrollment targets the school filed in their application, not the figures the school based its budget on.

“They are so strong financially that it’s very clear that whatever their enrollment is currently, it’s serving itself on an organizational and an academic playing field,” Gaskill said.

Cavazos told Chalkbeat that OEI does consider how a school’s actual enrollment compares to what it budgeted for.

And the school’s launch during the pandemic means there is only a few years’ worth of data by which to measure academic progress, Gaskill noted. She also pointed to an increase in proficiency on the ILEARN from last year.

“It’s reflecting that academic improvement is there, rather than stagnation or decline,” she said.

Rooted’s current charter school will switch to Education One beginning next school year. The board approved its second charter for the planned K-6 school with a few conditions, including that the 7-12 school meets Education One’s standards for growth.

The existing school must also demonstrate full compliance with laws related to special populations, including students with disabilities and English language learners.

New law restricts charter school authorization in Indianapolis

A new law that overhauls control over resources for district and charter schools in IPS restricts charter authorizing to OEI, the Indiana Charter School Board, and the IPS school board, which has expressed interest in becoming an authorizer.

Schools authorized by other authorizers like Education One before April 1 of this year can continue operating through the term of their charters. But after those charters expire, the new law requires the schools to seek authorization with one of the three approved entities.

Education One had objected to losing its power to authorize schools in IPS borders, arguing that high-quality authorizing is not determined by the location of the authorizer or its type.

Trine University is located over two hours away from Indianapolis.

This story has been updated to include a comment from OEI on how it considers enrollment in the context of budgeting.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public School board member Gayle Cosby announces resignation

2026-03-11T00:11:48+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools board member Gayle Cosby announced her resignation from the board on Tuesday, just over a year into her term.

In a statement at a board meeting, Cosby said she would end her service on the board on Friday due to ongoing health challenges. In her remarks, she criticized recent efforts to change Indianapolis Public Schools as it grapples with declining enrollment and a competitive charter school sector.

Her departure leaves a vacancy on the seven-member board, which will lose a substantial amount of power under a new law that redistributes resources between district and charter schools.

Beginning this year, a new nine-member board appointed by Mayor Joe Hogsett will assume critical financial powers typically reserved for the school board, including the ability to levy property taxes, request a referendum on the ballot, and issue bonds for debt. The appointed board is slated to gain control of IPS buildings and transportation for both district and charter schools in 2028.

“We must be honest about the current moment,” said Cosby, who serves as board secretary and represents the District 2 portion of IPS that stretches from parts of the Near Eastside to the Far Eastside. “We are witnessing an unprecedented and coordinated assault on the very idea of ‘public’ in public education.”

The board elected Allissa Impink as its new secretary in a split vote that also mirrored a divided vote over whether to postpone the vote for secretary.

Board president Hope Duke Star and board members Allissa Impink, Nicole Carey, and Cosby — who all rejected a motion to postpone a vote for secretary until the vacant District 2 seat is filled — supported Impink for secretary. Board members Deandra Thompson, Ashley Thomas, and Angelia Moore voted to contest the agenda and later voted for Thompson for secretary.

Cosby was elected to the board in 2024. She also served on the board from 2013 to 2016.

Cosby kicked off her second term in office with a sharp critique of efforts to dissolve IPS, including a bill that would have replaced it entirely with charter schools. Over the past year, she has shown strong support for preserving traditional district schools, backing a proposal to maintain an elected board that serves as the sole charter school authorizer.

Cosby was first elected to the board in 2012 with donations from groups that support charter schools and school choice, including Stand for Children Indiana and Indiana Democrats for Education Reform.

But in her first term, she became a critic of the district’s reform plans, which included partnering with charter school operators through the district’s Innovation Network. She did not seek reelection at the end of her first term.

Cosby ran again in 2024, this time with a $28,000 donation from the political action committee for the Indiana State Teachers Association. She defeated reform-backed candidate Hasaan Rashid, who raised about $12,000 more than her, with 54% of the vote.

In her resignation remarks, Cosby criticized the move to hand control of IPS buildings over to the new appointed board, arguing that they are not “surplus commodities to be auctioned off.”

“To see these assets stripped away under the guise of choice is a betrayal of the generations of families who built this district,” she said. “The privatization of public schools — the slow, calculated dismantling of a unified district into a fragmented market — is not a reform. It is a displacement of the public’s voice.”

State law requires that the school board appoint someone who lives in IPS boundaries to fill Cosby’s seat and finish her term, which ends in 2028. Board policy requires the board to fill Cosby’s vacancy within 30 days. Three other seats are also up for election this year, and District 4 board member Impink — whose term ends in 2028 — has announced a run for Indiana Senate District 46.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Future of IPS hinges on possible tax increase proposed by a new corporation, not the school board

2026-03-03T18:33:40+00:00

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The future of Indianapolis Public Schools could hinge on whether voters approve a tax increase proposed not by the district’s elected school board, but by a new corporation with appointed members.

The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, or IPEC, is slated to take control of several aspects of the district’s finances as soon as April, under state legislation passed last month. That bill gives the corporation, not the IPS school board, the power to put a proposed tax increase on the ballot. The corporation’s members must first be appointed by the mayor.

IPS’s current operating referendum, which voters approved in 2018, expires this year. The district already projects ending this year with a $40 million cash deficit, and by next year will have entirely depleted its reserves, according to IPS documents.

In other words, without that voter-approved funding, the district will be out of money by 2027, producing consequences that could range from staff layoffs to school closures.

Although IPEC could decide not to put a tax referendum to voters, observers have not expressed fears about that possibility. Declining to propose one could also undermine the corporation’s other work related to operations for district and charter schools. In creating IPEC, lawmakers also outlined specific ballot language that IPEC must use for a referendum.

While some recent developments in the state’s fiscal climate could make voters less inclined to approve the referendum in November, others could make its path easier.

In a statement, IPS said that it is committed to “critical collaboration” with IPEC.

“We have a great sense of urgency to promote the stability for all students in the IPS boundary through this transitional period,” the district said.

Mayor Joe Hogsett has until March 31 to appoint IPEC’s nine members, who in turn will have four months to place a referendum question on the November ballot.

One factor that might aid a November tax referendum is that, for the first time, local charter schools that enroll students living within IPS borders can opt into receiving money from it. That shared interest could help IPS and the charter sector work together, which has often proven very difficult recently.

“IPS and the charter schools may be fighting it out, and IPS may not like having to turn the money over. But once the referendum is on the ballot, the charters and IPS go for it,” said Larry DeBoer, a professor emeritus at Purdue University who specializes in tax referendums. “Even if they don’t like each other, they’re on the same side.”

IPS finances struggle after years of extra support

Recent property tax relief is projected to leave IPS and government entities statewide with less property tax revenue than they would have otherwise collected.

That tax relief lawmakers passed last year will reduce the district’s local property tax base by 1.9% annually through 2031, according to the district. Although the referendum’s odds of success might benefit from charters’ support of it, charters would also benefit from revenue that in past years would have gone to IPS.

All that could lead IPEC to propose an operating referendum that is more expensive than the current one, which added roughly 19.6 cents in taxes per $100 of assessed value.

The last time voters approved a referendum to fund district schools with 72% of the vote, it produced better results than IPS expected.

IPS projected the current operating referendum, passed in 2018, to bring in $220 million over eight years. But changes in property values led the total anticipated amount to soar to roughly $323 million, a nearly 47% increase over the initial projection, IPS documents show.

The district credits that funding for increasing teacher salaries significantly. In 2017-18, the district’s minimum starting salary of $40,000 was among the lowest in Marion County. Today, IPS offers the highest out of all districts in the county. In 2021, the district also agreed to share some of the funding with charters in its Innovation Network.

Not all plans for referendums have turned out as smoothly.

In 2022, the district proposed another operating referendum. But amid pressure from charter parents and supporters to share that funding with all local charter schools — and facing opposition from the city’s chamber of commerce — the school board tabled the measure.

IPS officials said the proposal would have generated about $50 million in additional funds annually over eight years to help fund the expansion of specialized academic programs under its Rebuilding Stronger reorganization, and to support continued competitive staff compensation.

The district continued with its Rebuilding Stronger organization, closing six schools and expanding programs such as dual language and Montessori, without the tax increase. Officials said at the time that they would cut costs in central services and operations to implement the reorganization plan.

Tax hike could be tougher sell than in 2018

Several factors could make a referendum harder to pass.

Under a change to state law in 2025, Indiana now requires school districts to float referendums in general elections in the fall — when historically they were less likely to pass than in the spring, DeBoer said. At the same time, voters are more likely to approve a referendum that is a continuation of the current one, he said.

From 2016 to 2019, 76% of referendums statewide passed. But from 2020 to 2025, that fell to 68%, according to an analysis from DeBoer.

“I would guess that the environment now is a little less favorable than it was back in 2018,” he said. “We were eight years into an economic expansion. People were probably in a somewhat better mood than they are now.”

Another concern is that having an appointed board receive property tax dollars raises serious concerns about accountability, said Monica Shellhamer of the Indianapolis Education Association.

“We’re not quite sure yet what it means to have our new IPEC board,” Shelhamer said.

But most voters don’t care about such technicalities about how referendums work, DeBoer said.

Taylor Hughes, chief strategy officer for the Indy Chamber, said the organization wants to balance the need for a “world-class education” in the state’s capital without overburdening the taxpayers.

“We’ve had significant inflation for a long time. The politics of affordability is a bipartisan cry. This is something that everybody is feeling squeezed on,” Hughes said. “I think that is a dynamic that we need to be mindful of.”

IPS supporters have called for adequate funding for public education. But the Chamber would want to know what a fully funded school system looks like, Hughes said. If there is a need for a referendum, he said, it’s really important that everyone is “singing from the same song book.”

“If this becomes a fight,” he said, “I think that’s probably a lose-lose for everybody.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS adopts new student policy in latest move involving ICE lawsuit from Attorney General Rokita

2026-02-26T01:51:10+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board adopted a new policy on student privacy Wednesday in response to a lawsuit from the state attorney general claiming the district unlawfully impeded federal immigration enforcement.

The new policy on student access, safety, and privacy seeks to ensure there is a “uniform administrative protocol” that ensures all district actions are “within the bounds of applicable law,” the board said in a resolution passed 6-0 along with the policy.

But Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office is still pursuing the lawsuit.

Since the lawsuit, the district has removed resources for undocumented students on its website, a move that highlights the growing impact the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement is having on schools. In Indiana, lawmakers are seeking to require greater cooperation between local governments — including school districts — and federal immigration authorities.

Rokita’s November lawsuit took issue with a resolution the board passed in 2017 that reminded employees not to assist immigration enforcement efforts “unless legally required and authorized to do so by the Superintendent.” It also challenged IPS guidance for staff and principals on what to do if immigration enforcement shows up on school grounds.

Both documents, Rokita’s office argued in its lawsuit, violated a state law that prohibits governmental entities from restricting enforcement of immigration laws.

The fight will likely continue through a Marion County Superior Court case that will weigh the rights of students against a state law restricting school districts from restricting immigration enforcement.

The board last month rescinded the 2017 resolution as it floated the new student safety policy for consideration. But Rokita’s office said in a court filing on Monday that “IPS in no way repudiated the policies described” in the 2017 resolution when the board voted to rescind it.

The new IPS policy directs the superintendent to develop guidelines on how staff should coordinate with legal counsel when external agencies seek information or access to students. The superintendent will also develop protocols for the protection of student records.

In a statement before the vote, board President Hope Duke Star said the policy was neither a symbolic gesture nor a political statement, but rather “a governance instrument designed to bring clarity, uniformity, and accountability” on how to administer safety districtwide.

“Indianapolis Public Schools serves students from many backgrounds and life circumstances. The district does not adjudicate these circumstances,” Star said. “Our fundamental charge is narrowed and more concrete: to operate schools that are orderly, predictable, and compliant with the law, therefore allowing teaching and learning to occur without undue disruption.”

Attorney general says IPS hindered deportation attempt

The lawsuit alleges that IPS policies hindered the deportation of a “Honduran national” who opted to voluntarily leave the country in January 2025 with his son, an IPS student.

On the day of the scheduled flight, the student went to school despite his father’s wish for them to depart the country together, the complaint states.

The child’s father sent a family friend to meet the student at the school to be reunited with his father, according to an affidavit of a contracted school resource officer that Rokita’s office filed earlier this month. IPS staff refused to turn over the child, who like his father was an undocumented immigrant, to the family friend, according to the affidavit.

In its response to the lawsuit, the district said that the person who claimed to be a federal immigration officer — whom district staff spoke to by phone that day — did not produce any legal documentation to support the request to take custody of the student. IPS denied the allegation from Rokita’s office that the father missed his deportation flight because of the district.

A district staff member allowed the student to go home with an immigration attorney in violation of district policy, according to district responses to the attorney general’s interrogation filed in court. But the district said Immigration and Customs Enforcement never came to the school, and staff never spoke with the student’s father that day.

The new policy adopted Wednesday maintains that the district will continue to provide “equal access to public education” regardless of immigration status while complying with local, state, and federal laws.

State law forbids a governmental body from adopting a resolution or policy that restricts cooperation with federal officials when it comes to sharing information on a person’s citizenship or immigration status. Government entities may also not restrict federal immigration enforcement “to less than the full extent permitted by federal law.”

At the same time, the federal Families and Educational Rights Privacy Act, known as FERPA, restricts the ability of schools to provide student information to outside parties. And the Supreme Court’s 1982 ruling in Plyler v. Doe affirmed undocumented students’ right to a free public education.

The next hearing in the case involving Rokita’s lawsuit against IPS is set for March 5.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis charter school focused on students with autism to acquire shuttered IPS building

2026-02-26T01:40:30+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools will sell the Raymond Brandes School 65 building for $1 to a charter school that serves students with autism.

The school board’s approval on Wednesday to sell the building to Dynamic Minds Academy could mark the last time the district sells a building under a state law that requires traditional school districts to provide shuttered or underutilized buildings to charters or state educational institutions for $1.

The building, which was constructed on the district’s southeast side in 1961. It would provide a critical second campus for Dynamic Minds, which operates a K-12 school on the northeast side of Marion County. The school partners with the Hope Source clinic that offers applied behavioral analysis, a service known as ABA therapy that serves students with autism, for an experience that combines therapy with school.

The school enrolled 135 students this year, according to state records, but it has about 160 students on its waitlist, education director Samantha Bandy told Chalkbeat last month. She anticipates the need to grow even more, as state efforts to cut Medicaid spending impacts ABA centers that rely on such funding.

“We’re getting a lot more interest from families that aren’t ready for traditional public school but they’re being pushed out of their ABA center,” she said.

The school plans to open in the fall of 2027 to grades K-12 and is seeking approval from Education One at Trine University, which authorizes its existing campus.

The $1 sale could be the last of its kind, because lawmakers are considering a bill that would exempt IPS from the law and establish a new corporation to manage school buildings and transportation for district and charter schools.

A state appeals court ruled last year that the district must sell School 65 to any interested school.

Both Dynamic Minds and Damar Charter Academy — another charter school serving students with behavioral and developmental challenges — expressed interest in the building. State law dictates that if more than one charter school expresses an interest in an unused building, a committee of charter school authorizers must select which school receives the facility.

IPS will list School 68 on open market

The school board also voted Wednesday to list Susan Roll Leach School 68 as available for sale on the open market after no charter schools or institutions expressed interest in buying the property for $1.

The building in the near eastside neighborhood, built in 1938, had the lowest overall facility quality rating in the district, according to a previous study that IPS commissioned.

No charter schools expressed interest in purchasing the former Susan Roll Leach School 68 building on the east side of the district.

IPS will hire a broker to oversee the building’s potential sale.

The board also voted to transfer roughly 18 acres of the former John Marshall school property on the Far Eastside to the city’s parks department. IndyParks plans to use the land, which includes the school’s athletic fields, as part of its master plan for Grassy Creek Regional Park.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

As lawmakers push to unify operations for Indianapolis schools, charters could get an edge

2026-02-24T18:49:47+00:00

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An attempt to unify operations for traditional public and charter schools in Indianapolis is proving to be a complex task that could ultimately favor charters over district schools in critical ways.

At the heart of the matter: ownership and control of school buildings, some of which are privately owned or leased by charter schools and some of which are publicly owned by Indianapolis Public Schools. The future landscape for the roughly 42,000 students in IPS and charter schools could be shaped by how easily schools can access or control these buildings.

The move to centralize control over buildings comes as Indianapolis has grappled with a fractured education system of two different school sectors— traditional and charter — operating with different access to buildings and different transportation systems using different funds.

That divide is what a state-established task force known as the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, or ILEA, sought to bridge through recommendations in December that have formed the basis for legislation advancing in the Indiana Statehouse.

But in the broader attempt at efficiency, at least some charter schools appear to be gaining what could be key advantages. Whether charters maintain that edge will depend heavily on the actions of a mayor-appointed board over the next two years.

Lawmakers last month made key changes to legislation that would create the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, or IPEC, to manage transportation and facilities for district schools as well as charters within IPS boundaries. The revision would allow charters to opt into or out of the bill’s mandate that schools turn over control of their buildings to the proposed corporation.

Another addition to the legislation directs the corporation to create a process to close “inefficient” school buildings based on underutilized capacity.

The opt-out provision could favor the nearly two-dozen charters that already own their buildings by making it easier for them to maintain control of those facilities even after IPEC launches. In addition, due to enrollment trends, the process focused on shuttering underutilized schools could ultimately create a net benefit for charters by closing several IPS-run school buildings that the corporation could give to charters.

The legislation is based on recommendations from the ILEA. The debate over the bill mirrors recent and at times bitter political disputes between IPS and charters. IPS supporters have argued that the new corporation will not solve problems facing the city’s schools. Charter advocates, meanwhile, say charters should not be forced to give control of privately owned buildings to a public entity such as IPEC.

Republican Rep. Bob Behning, the bill author, said his goal is to create a facilities plan that every school would want to participate in so that school leaders can focus on academics.

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said other parts of the bill could streamline operations across both district and charter schools. But it depends on how the bill is actually implemented.

The bill gives the corporation until 2028 — the same year charters will start receiving property taxes — to enact a transportation and facilities plan across all school types.

“[The] devil’s in the details in terms of how the execution works, in terms of how there’s collaboration across different entities, in terms of how we all think about the trade-offs that might be necessary to actually make this work,” Johnson told Chalkbeat. “And that we don’t know yet.”

Charters schools want to keep control over buildings

Behning has said his intent is for the corporation to own all school buildings. But his legislation, HB 1423, only says that IPEC would “control” buildings through the facilities plan.

Schools that opt out of that plan would not receive property tax dollars reserved for building needs. But the nearly two-dozen charters that already own their buildings might prefer to opt out and prioritize maintaining control over their facilities over gaining access to that revenue starting in 2028. Their need for that revenue to acquire or lease buildings could be minimal or non-existent.

Meanwhile, charter schools operating in IPS buildings and charter applicants aiming to start a school could benefit by allowing IPEC to control their buildings, because they could still gain access to new or different buildings for their schools.

The legislation includes the same opt-out provision for IPS. But that flexibility is “almost symbolic,” Behning admitted. That’s because if the district opted out, it would lose the very property tax funding it currently relies on to pay for buildings.

In addition, forcing charters to relinquish control of their buildings — which might be a privately held asset — to a public entity could create legal problems, some charter advocates say.

As of 2024-25, over 20 charter schools owned their buildings, while another 19 leased space and 12 operated in IPS buildings as part of the school’s Innovation Network, according to a report from the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

At Circle City Prep, owning its school building on the Far Eastside allows the charter to pursue quick improvements and modifications, executive director Megan Murphy said in an email. The school would want to preserve that flexibility and autonomy, she said.

“It is in the best interest of our scholars and the community we serve to be able to be adaptive to the needs of our school and student population,” Murphy said.

Meanwhile, closing underutilized buildings would likely hit IPS particularly hard and also could affect charter schools struggling with enrollment.

At least eight schools run by IPS, which recently experienced its biggest drop in enrollment since the pandemic, are operating at a building capacity of 50% or lower, according state enrollment data for this year and a previous IPS study. Previously, lawmakers have used that 50% threshold to determine when certain traditional school districts would have to offer underenrolled buildings to charter schools for $1.

Building usage across charter schools is less clear. But at least four charter schools were operating at below 50% of their stated capacity in 2024-25 — a figure based on the number or students the school intends to serve rather than on the dimensions of a physical building, according to a mayor’s office report.

IPS supporters fear what lawmakers are planning

Lawmakers have stressed the district’s impending financial cliff as reasons for the drastic changes in HB 1423. The district anticipates ending the school year with a $40 million cash flow deficit.

While charters will gain access to property tax revenue in two years, IPS is projected to lose significant funding from property taxes due to various changes at the state level. In addition, IPS funding from a property tax hike that voters approved several years ago expires in 2026.

But the district’s supporters say traditional IPS schools need adequate education funding from the state, not the looming overhaul to key aspects of how the district works. They worry that recent events like the evolution of Behning’s bill point to the gradual demolition of IPS in favor of charters.

“Let me be clear what compromise looks like when you’re negotiating with people who want to dismantle you,” IPS parent Courtney Hawk, part of the Fully Funded, Fully Public campaign that wants an elected school board to maintain control of IPS assets, said at a district board meeting last month. “It looks like surrender in slow motion.”

The bill doesn’t match the charter sector’s priorities in some respects, however. Some charter advocates have pushed back on a requirement that all schools offer transportation, for example. Charters have struggled to offer transportation without property tax funding.

Behning’s legislation says all traditional public and charter schools inside district boundaries must provide for transportation for all students, a service that IPEC would manage. The requirement reflects a recommendation from the ILEA, and supports an argument from some school choice advocates and many parents that true choice is not possible without a way to get to school.

But Scott Bess of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center, a charter advocacy group, pointed out that state law doesn’t require school districts to offer transportation, and it should therefore not be required for any schools within IPS boundaries.

There’s some truth to the different concerns from both IPS and charters, said Barato Britt, who served on the ILEA. But if lawmakers follow the task force’s intent as closely as possible, he said, “we will have made progress to transform an already evolved educational landscape in a more connected fashion.”

“We can’t act like our trajectory without it was promising, whether it was the traditional space or the charter space,” said Britt, who serves on the board of the KIPP Indy Public Schools charter network. “Something had to be done.”

Ultimately, the pressure will be on IPEC’s board to address the big challenges lawmakers are poised to ask it to solve.

Indiana’s legislative session is due to end Friday.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Monarca Academy expands to high school with boost from $2 million grant

2026-02-19T18:01:04+00:00

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When families come to tour Monarca Academy, founder Francisco Valdiosera sometimes shows them a picture of himself and his wife — both first-generation college graduates of Latino heritage — surrounded by their parents at their Stanford University graduation.

The middle school’s embrace of the Latino culture and the immigrant experience has attracted those families since it launched in 2022 on the west side of Indianapolis. Seeing someone from that community who has obtained a prestigious education, Valdiosera said, speaks to them.

“I show them that picture, and I say, ‘This is what I want for your children. That’s me, but that’s your son,’” he said. “‘That’s my wife, but that’s what I want for your daughter.’”

That kind of pitch has helped the school grow from just 41 sixth-grade students in 2022 to 217 across grades 6-8 this year at its location within Northwest Middle School in Indianapolis Public Schools. Monarca plans to add a ninth grade in the fall — and eventually hopes to add grades 10-12 as allowed in its charter —with help from a $2 million grant from the Lilly Endowment.

It’s a significant step for a charter school serving a majority Latino population that, like many other schools, must navigate the fears of federal immigration enforcement and its impact on families. The expansion into high school also comes as Indianapolis Public Schools and charters face an unknown future in how transportation and buildings are distributed to schools.

The grant will help fund a counselor as well as intensive tutoring that staff hope will particularly help the school’s many multilingual students.

The funding complements a $200,000 grant the school received from the endowment in June. That boosted its arts and extracurricular programming — which includes ballet folklórico from Mexico and the Brazilian martial art of capoeira — helped the school implement restorative justice discipline practices, and supported a multilingual learner specialist.

“As we’ve been able to expand every year with our programming, with our athletics, with our arts, it’s been amazing to see how different kids are feeling more connected to school,” said founding Principal Felicia Sears.

Monarca’s pillars encourage students to celebrate their roots

Monarca, Spanish for “monarch,” is inspired by the monarch butterfly that represents transformation and migration.

“As a school name, Monarca Academy signals that students are not defined by where they begin,” the school said in a statement. “They are in motion. They are becoming.”

The school, which exists in the culturally diverse part of northwest Indianapolis, is rooted in three values: academic rigor through “ganas” or perseverance, community or “comunidad,” and pride — “orgullo” — that encourages each student to embrace their culture.

Staff say that approach is particularly helpful in the country’s current political environment. Amid fears of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, they encourage students to talk to the school’s social worker and try to see all the challenges the student may be bringing with them into the classroom.

“The approach of, ‘I’m going to see you and love you as a human first’ is absolutely essential to all the work that we’re doing and all the barriers that we’re trying to remove,” said seventh grade English teacher Danielle Boylan.

A significant portion of the $2 million grant, which will be used over five years, will help fund a counselor position to focus on academic and emotional support for students and help the school’s existing social worker — a key position as the school continues to grow.

Staff hope that tutoring funded through the grant will also help English language learner students improve fluency and understand English language arts content. Over 76% of the school’s students are English language learners this year, according to state enrollment records.

In the future, the school also plans to add a college and career readiness coordinator.

Monarca, which is part of the IPS Innovation Network of autonomous schools, plans to stay in Northwest Middle School as it grows.

But state lawmakers are considering legislation that would create an Indianapolis Public Education Corporation to control school buildings throughout IPS. The corporation would determine which schools have access to certain buildings, a process that could be based in part on a school rating system it would develop.

“We feel confident that whatever happens and whoever has control of this building, we will have a place for Monarca Academy students here,” Valdiosera said.

Loani, an eighth grader, was attracted to Monarca because the school “wanted people to show up as themselves.” Chalkbeat is not providing the last names of students due to the current political climate around immigration enforcement.

As she discussed high school options with her mother, she realized that she wanted to stay for ninth grade.

“It wasn’t just like a school — I was close with everyone, every staff, every student,” she said. “I’ve known them personally for years. So that’s why I’m going to stay.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

African American Coalition: Parents of color ‘not a monolith’ in supporting IPS overhaul

2026-02-12T23:52:44+00:00

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A coalition of Black community groups is accusing education reform organizations of misrepresenting opinions in the African American community in a bid to pass legislation that would significantly reduce the power of an elected Indianapolis Public Schools board.

“African Americans are not a monolith, but claims made by organizations and institutions with little or no authentic connection to the Black community do not reflect the public record and are deeply concerning,” said the statement released Wednesday by the African American Coalition of Indianapolis.

The statement reflects months of tension between lawmakers, reform groups, and residents over the future of Indianapolis Public Schools and comes as lawmakers are debating a governance overhaul. House Bill 1423, based on recommendations from the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, would create a new corporation to oversee key aspects of district operations as well as the many charters within district borders. The elected school board would be left with much less authority.

A lead employee at the Mind Trust, a nonprofit that supports the bill and helped start many Indianapolis charter schools, told lawmakers last week that white parents opposed the controversial House Bill 1423 while parents of color supported it.

“You all heard from a number of parents who look like me and live in my neighborhood today — one even claimed to be from among the wealthiest — and they have opposed this bill,” said Kim Preston, the Mind Trust’s senior vice president of policy, who is white. “By comparison, I’ll point out that parents of color have shown up today and throughout the ILEA process to support this effort. Their voices matter and their students deserve our support.”

But the African American Coalition said it has expressed “serious concerns” about the bill, including removing the elected board from a district that primarily serves Black and brown students.

The bill would create the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which would take control over transportation and school buildings in IPS and assume the power to collect and levy property taxes. It comes at a time when IPS is led by its first Black female superintendent and overseen by its first school board consisting entirely of women of color.

Any major changes to IPS would affect a student body that is roughly 38% Black and 37% Latino, according to state enrollment records.

The coalition statement speaks to broader racial dynamics that have long been at play in the push to expand charter schools in Indianapolis.

Charter advocates like the Mind Trust have consistently highlighted that Black and Latino charter school students score higher on the state’s standardized ILEARN exam than their peers in IPS. Parents of color affiliated with Stand for Children Indiana, meanwhile, have pushed for IPS to expand charter schools that produce better outcomes for Black and Latino students.

Both organizations are led by white men.

The Mind Trust declined to comment.

Stand for Children said in a statement that it agrees with the coalition’s call for listening to families and that many families support the types of changes called for in House Bill 1423.

“We’re blessed to be affiliated with remarkable parent leaders who have spent literally thousands of hours digging deep on education policy and talking directly with their neighbors and elected leaders for many, many years,” Stand for Children said. And those parent leaders consistently say “they want transportation for all, greater accountability for every school type, and a focus on growing schools that are actually closing the achievement gap.”

AACI spokesperson Marshawn Wolley told Chalkbeat that the way race has been used in the broader fight is a “manipulation” of Black people and “reeks of paternalism.”

“What’s really frustrating about the comment from the Mind Trust is it’s like they only want to listen to certain Black people,” Wolley said.

Wolley questioned the success of some charter schools, noting that high suspension rates may drive out some students and bolster claims of higher academic performance. And across all school types, proficiency rates in Indianapolis are still largely well below statewide averages.

“My concern is that we’re making radical changes for systems that in the aggregate only have marginally better outcomes, if that,” Wolley said. “And it’s completely disruptive.”

The Greater Indianapolis NAACP — which is part of the coalition — has also opposed creating an appointed entity over IPS.

“Elected school boards answer to the public,” Chrystal Ratcliffe, the branch’s president, said in a statement in December. “Appointed boards reduce transparency, weaken community participation, and erode trust in decisions that affect every neighborhood in Indianapolis, particularly historically marginalized communities.”

The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis, a group of pastors created during the Civil Rights Movement, has also joined the IPS Parent Council and the Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America in opposing plans to dilute the power of the elected school board.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Corrections and Clarifications: This article has been updated to include the correct name of the IPS Parent Council.

PPHS to close South Bend campus to focus on Indianapolis schools amid declining enrollment

2026-02-10T12:00:00+00:00

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The Purdue Polytechnic High School board of directors will close the charter network’s South Bend location amid financial challenges while it focuses on the long-term stability of its two remaining Indianapolis campuses.

The decision comes amid declining enrollment at both its South Bend and Broad Ripple campuses that could signal a broader enrollment challenge for both traditional public and charter schools. The South Bend location served 112 students this year, according to state enrollment records.

PPHS declined an interview through a public relations professional and did not answer specific questions about the South Bend closure. And it’s unclear if the network still has plans for a third Indianapolis location as previously planned.

In June, OEI issued a notice of deficiency for the network’s two Indianapolis campuses that cited concerns over financial reporting and missed enrollment targets at the Broad Ripple campus.

But in a statement last week, OEI Executive Director Shaina Cavazos said the school is well-positioned to build strong fiscal health based on recent performance and enrollment trends.

“Throughout my communication with the board and school leadership, it has been clear the focus remains on building strong fiscal health for the Indianapolis schools,” Cavazos said.

In South Bend, a partnership with the Career Academy Network of Public Schools — another charter network with four schools in South Bend — allows PPHS South Bend students to be offered priority enrollment at Career Academy schools next school year, the network said in a press release. South Bend staff members will also be able to interview for open positions at Career Academy locations.

Fast growth in first campus sparks quick launch of two others

PPHS launched in Indianapolis in 2017 with the support of former Governor and then-Purdue University President Mitch Daniels. The high school model focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math with a goal of increasing the number of historically underserved students of color attending Purdue University.

The network’s first location in the east side area of Englewood, approved by the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, grew by one grade each year and has since seen year-over-year enrollment growth with 617 students this year, according to state enrollment records.

The network launched two other locations in quick succession. In 2019-20, PPHS North, also approved by OEI, opened with 64 students and later moved into Broad Ripple Middle School through a partnership with Indianapolis Public Schools. The next year, PPHS opened its South Bend campus.

But both of those locations have been losing students in recent years. In Broad Ripple, enrollment has dropped from its high of 283 in 2022-23 to 220 this school year, well below the maximum 600 threshold that the school pitched to the mayor’s office in its application.

In South Bend, enrollment peaked in 2023-24 at 154 and now sits at 112. In its application to the Indiana Charter School Board — which authorized the South Bend campus — it planned for a capacity of 500.

Another charter authorizer, Education One at Trine University, approved PPHS to open a third high school in Indianapolis in 2023. That opening date has been repeatedly delayed.

The school’s spokesperson did not answer a question on whether it would still open that campus.

Education One executive director Emily Gaskill said in an email that the school was approved but a charter agreement was never executed. If a charter is not executed for a school, then the school would need to reapply, she said.

Focusing on the network’s Indianapolis schools will strengthen the Purdue brand in Indianapolis, a spokesperson for PPHS said. Purdue University is expanding its presence in the city with the creation of Purdue University Indianapolis, which launched in 2024 after Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis split into two schools.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Shortridge High School walkout caps week of anti-ICE protests: ‘Hard workers are not the criminals’

2026-02-06T22:46:14+00:00

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A friend who is too afraid to come to school and take an important test. Rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a nearby park. A drop in attendance.

Shortridge High School students have seen these impacts as ICE has come to their community. More than 100 of them poured onto the sidewalk outside the school on Friday to protest federal immigration efforts that have sparked violence and fear.

The protest capped a week of demonstrations held by high school students across Marion County and central Indiana — outside of schools, at the statehouse, and even in the middle of major streets — to object to the heightened presence of ICE agents nationwide, two of whom killed two people in Minneapolis last month.

“The current administration in the White House claims they’re only arresting felons, criminals and people who are dangerous to our communities. However, if that is true, then why are we arresting children who cannot defend themselves?” said junior Campbell Bell, one of the protest organizers. “If that is true, why are we arresting United States citizens purely based on the color of their skin?”

Students at Shortridge — located in the heart of the city along the Meridian Street thoroughfare — elicited honks from school buses, a city bus, and other cars as they held signs and chanted during the fourth and final class period of the day.

“America is supposed to be a place where we can all be free, and we can all have our own opinions, and we can just all live happily,” said junior Evelyn Peter, one of the organizers. “Hard workers are not the criminals — our president is.”

Students walk out of class to protest against ICE on Fri., Feb. 6, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In November, Indianapolis Public Schools faced a lawsuit from Attorney General Todd Rokita that claimed the district prevented the voluntary deportation of a Honduran man. The man wanted to leave the country with his son, an IPS student, who went to school against his father’s wishes, the lawsuit states. District officials refused to provide access to the student.

The protest comes as IPS considers changing its policies to respond to Rokita’s lawsuit. The district has rescinded resolutions signaling support for undocumented students and has floated a new policy on student access, safety, and privacy.

The district maintains that it supports all students and employees and has noted other state and federal laws that protect immigrant families, including the federal Families and Educational Rights Private Act, which restricts schools’ ability to provide student information to outside parties.

Olivia Ranney, a freshman, said she’s proud to go to a district that fights for her friends and families.

“I see a lot of these people as my family in many, many ways, and I think that knowing that we have adults that work at our schools and that work in our district fighting for the same cause makes me feel better about it,” she said.

While some students at other schools face disciplinary action from their walkouts, Shortridge organizers said they met multiple times with administration ahead of the protest.

Students originally planned to walk two miles down Meridian Street to join Herron High School students in protest, but held the walkout on school grounds in a compromise with school administration.

In a statement, the district said it respects students’ desire “to engage with the world around them and to make their voices heard.”

“We also remain committed to maintaining the safety of our students, and expect students, families, and staff to adhere to our Student Code of Conduct policy,” the district said.

Owen Alvis, a junior, encouraged fellow teenagers to learn more about the country’s immigration enforcement situation.

“I would just urge teenagers to do your research and get involved, because every little thing counts,” Alvis said. “And when it’s time for us to step up, we’ll be ready.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Power over Indianapolis school closures and buildings would shift in revised bill

2026-01-29T22:48:37+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation would not have the direct authority to close public schools, and charters could keep control of their school buildings, according to a bill amendment lawmakers approved Thursday.

Under the amendment to House Bill 1423, charter authorizers and Indianapolis Public Schools — not the proposed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation — would maintain the power to close schools. But if they fail to do so, the corporation could appeal to the state board of education to close the school. The state board would ultimately have to approve the school closure.

In addition, the amendment — introduced by Rep. Bob Behning, the Republican chair of the House Education Committee — would allow charters within IPS boundaries to opt into or out of a facility management plan overseen by the new corporation.

The proposed changes to how school closures work and who controls buildings is part of a broader plan to change key aspects of how public schools work in the city and shift some resources from IPS to charter schools.

The amended bill clarifies that both charter authorizers and IPS must agree on a universal performance framework that could be used to determine which schools must close. IPS has closed several school buildings in recent years, while a large share of charters have shut down over the last few decades.

The revised bill says IPS would still be required to cede authority over their school buildings to the corporation, and also give up power over transportation and the ability to collect and levy property taxes, to the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, or IPEC. But Behning said during House discussions Thursday that he would commit to allowing IPS to opt out of the mandate to give up control over its buildings.

Such a move could further reduce the proposed corporation’s ability to unify oversight of key aspects of how the city’s public schools work.

Shortly after that comment from Behning, IPS released a statement blasting how the revised bill created a carve-out for charters. The district said it created “a glaring double standard” because it would grant “charter schools the power to opt out of management and control of school property by the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation Board while denying that very same flexibility to IPS.”

Before the House discussions, Behning said his amendment came in response to concern from charter schools that paid for their buildings with private dollars. Since charters have not historically had access to property tax funding for such expenses, they have relied on other funding resources to acquire facilities.

But there would be significant consequences for charter schools that choose not to participate in facilities management, like losing capital referendum and debt service funding, and the charter school facility grant once charter schools have access to more resources, Behning said during discussions with other House lawmakers.

“If I’m a charter … I would have to figure out how I’m going to do all my operations, pay for everything out of those operating dollars, which they have never had to do,” Behning said. “I don’t really think any of them are going to do it.”

Within district borders, over 20 charter schools owned their buildings in the 2024-25 school year, while another 19 leased space and 12 operated in IPS buildings as part of the school’s Innovation Network, according to a report from the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

The amendment allows charters that lease or own their buildings to decide whether to give control of the facility to IPEC. But if charters do opt out, they would not receive property tax dollars for capital needs.

During Thursday’s House discussion of the bill, Behning said his amendment didn’t outline how charter schools with privately owned buildings, or even IPS with outstanding bonds, would participate in facilities management. That’s a task for IPEC to determine in its feasibility study before assuming control of buildings in 2028-29, he said. The bill directs the new corporation to complete that study to examine building management by Nov. 30, 2027.

“If I was a charter that had privately built a building with private dollars, not with public dollars, if I want to be part of this, that’s going to be something they’re going to have to figure out,” Behning said. “My guess is, you can’t just come in and take away a private asset.”

Charters that own their buildings but are then forced to close could dispose of the building as they see fit if they don’t opt in to the corporation’s facility management plan, according to Behning. The corporation would not assume control of the building.

In theory, the new corporation would ultimately own all district buildings, Behning said. But there could be legal challenges to transferring ownership of buildings with remaining debt attached to them.

HB 1423 is eligible for a final reading in the House on Monday. If passed, it would move on to the Senate.

This story has been updated to include additional comments from Rep. Bob Behning and IPS, as well as the outcome of votes on Behning’s amendment.

Reporter Aleksandra Appleton contributed to this story.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS surpasses state graduation rates for Black, Hispanic students

2026-01-22T12:00:00+00:00

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When Donnessia Dancy was acting out, staff could hear her yelling clear across the halls of George Washington High School.

Now a high school senior, Dancy admits she was a “difficult child.” There were times when she lost all hope of graduating. But her teachers kept her on track.

“They gave the hope back,” she said. “Now, I start to believe that I am going to graduate — and now that they told me that I got two more credits left to graduate, I’m there.”

This year, Dancy is on track to join a cohort of graduating students that has grown at George Washington and across Indianapolis Public Schools since 2022. The overall IPS graduation rate — which includes charter schools that are part of the district’s Innovation Network — has risen in that time frame from nearly 80% for the Class of 2022 to 93% for the Class of 2025, surpassing the state’s record-setting rate of 91.8%, according to data the state released earlier this month.

The percentage of IPS students graduating without waivers from certain graduation requirements has also gone up recently. The record rates come on the eve of more changes to the state’s high school diploma, with new graduation requirements taking effect for all students in 2028-29.

IPS officials credit several district-wide initiatives for the improved rates. In 2018, Future Centers opened in each of the four district-run high schools to help students plan for life after graduation. In 2023, the district created writing centers to help with assignments and provide other academic support.

At George Washington High School, which has previously ranked lowest or second-lowest in graduation rates among the four traditional IPS high schools, the percentage of students graduating without a waiver has grown from roughly 73% for the Class of 2022 to about 89% for last year’s class.

“We had to create a culture around high expectations,” Principal Stanley Law said, referring to when he took over the school in 2018. “That you are expected to graduate in four years, and that we as a staff are going to do everything that we can to make sure that that happens.”

How an Indianapolis principal tracks student graduation info

Dozens of student names are neatly listed in color-coded columns on Law’s whiteboard. It’s a tracking tool for this year’s seniors that’s used district-wide.

Seniors must earn a minimum of 40 credits to graduate, but also must demonstrate employability skills and postsecondary readiness. They can meet these requirements by completing a work-based learning experience, for example, and by taking a standardized exam such as the ACT, SAT, or the ASVAB used for military enrollment.

The goal: to move every student over into Column A, where students have at least 30 credits and have completed the employability and postsecondary requirements.

“We track them every week in what we call a cohort meeting,” Law said. “We look at the grades, behavior, attendance, social-emotional — whatever other kind of barriers that exist for them, and we have conversations with several of these kids.”

Like the district as a whole, George Washington’s Black and Hispanic students graduated at higher rates than their peers statewide last year. The school graduated 91% of Black students and nearly 94% of Hispanic students — including those who graduated with waivers — compared with the statewide figures of roughly 87% and 90%, respectively.

IPS also graduated 97% percent of students receiving free or reduced-price meals, compared with 93% statewide.

At George Washington High School, many students come from difficult backgrounds and carry different traumas, Law said.

Dancy felt like nobody had her back before coming to the school, she said.

But she attributes her turnaround to Law’s decision to send her to Positive Supports Academy, an IPS program for students with behavioral challenges.

The experience last year prompted her to change, and over time she realized the school community was there to help. She visited the school’s Writing Center frequently to help with her schoolwork.

“They accept me for who I am and they actually want to help me,” she said. “Instead of just putting me in a classroom and telling me to sit down or something — they actually helped me go through the tough time.”

Herron-Riverside wants students to feel like they belong

Among charter high schools in the Innovation Network, Herron-Riverside High School posted the largest non-waiver rate jump since 2022, when the school graduated roughly 64% of seniors without the use of a waiver. Last year, the charter graduated 89%.

Students walk the halls at Herron-Riverside High School, a charter school in the IPS Innovation Network where there's been a significant jump in its non-waiver graduation rate since 2022.

Head of School Emanuel Harper credits the jump in part to an emphasis on making school enjoyable and creating a sense of belonging.

Herron-Riverside opened in 2017 to replicate the classical education provided at Herron High School downtown — but with the goal of serving a different, more diverse body than its flagship campus in the northwest part of the city, Harper said.

Students have a daily seminar to help sharpen their academic management skills. But the school has also leaned into more fun activities to keep students engaged — such as games students play throughout the day that are connected to larger school-wide goals, Harper said.

“Over the past four years, [we were] really thinking about, ‘Okay, we can shore up our academics, but do students feel like they belong?” he said. “Do they feel known? Do they feel loved?”

Herron-Riverside senior Willinda Chapel has embraced the school’s extracurricular offerings — she is a captain for three school sports. Chapel plans to play volleyball at Grace College as a biology major.

“There’s — especially here at Riverside — so many adults who care about not just the number that you are in the school but your personality,” she said. “They care about how you’re doing.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS experiences biggest enrollment loss since pandemic, state records show

2026-01-20T12:00:00+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools experienced its greatest annual enrollment decline since the pandemic while charter school enrollment also dropped — trends that could signal fundamental challenges for both school types.

IPS enrollment dropped by 6% since last school year to 19,774 in 2025-26, while enrollment across both independent charters and charters in the district’s Innovation Network dropped nearly 3% from last year to just under 22,000 students, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of state enrollment data.

Overall, 41,663 students attend IPS or charter schools, with roughly 47% at IPS and about 53% at charters. (The analysis also includes charter schools just outside of IPS where a majority of students live in district borders.)

Across most Marion County school districts, there were also slight enrollment declines.

The enrollment dips come as schools across the country experience a continual post-COVID population drop that could stem from a number of factors, including declining birth rates, stricter immigration policy, and other school options. In Indianapolis, the declines could exacerbate a financial crunch schools are expecting through incoming property tax reforms estimated to cost school districts millions. In addition to property tax revenue, schools receive state funding that’s based on enrollment.

The declines also come with major changes on the horizon for Indianapolis public schools. Lawmakers are considering creating a new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation that would eventually own all school buildings and run transportation services, as well as levy and collect property taxes for schools and create an accountability system that includes closing low-performing schools.

“The reality facing public schools across the U.S. is that enrollment has been decreasing,” IPS said in a statement. “We will continue to thoughtfully navigate these shifts while also working hard to be the preferred choice for more families.”

In the charter sector, school mergers — which have occurred in recent years as schools have struggled with finances or enrollment — could be a solution if enrollment continues to decline.

“We do think that’s a really thoughtful strategy to both work to increase the number of kids that are attending higher quality operators, and to make sure that schools are operating as near to their capacity as possible,” said Brandon Brown, head of the Mind Trust nonprofit that has launched many of the city’s charter schools.

IPS enrollment drops by over 1,000 students

Enrollment at IPS schools declined by 1,281 students from last year to this year, the greatest drop since losing 2,681 students after the 2019-20 school year. These schools include traditional IPS schools and those in the Innovation Network that are not charter schools.

The decline mirrors broader demographic trends. State records show the number of students living in IPS attendance boundaries fell from 49,721 in October 2024 to 48,869 October 2025, a 1.7% drop. These figures exclude students attending private school without a state-funded voucher or those who are home-schooled.

A demographic report commissioned by the district and released in 2021 projected that enrollment in seventh and eighth grades, as well as the elementary school population, would decline.

But the district’s greatest declines occurred at the high school level, with high school enrollment dropping 9% to 5,115 across its four high schools and smaller high school programs. Ninth grade saw the highest percentage decrease at roughly 20%, or a loss of 281 students over last year.

Middle school enrollment dropped nearly 6% to 3,626.

Meanwhile, enrollment at independent charters dropped by 740 students — the largest year-over-year drop in at least seven years — while Innovation Network charters grew by 113 students.

(The analysis includes prekindergarten students in total counts, and excludes adult charter high schools and virtual or blended charter schools not affiliated with the Innovation Network.)

Across the nearly 60 charter schools, overall enrollment dropped from 22,516 to 21,889 — a loss of 627 students, or nearly 3%. These schools primarily lost students in the lower elementary grades.

But IPS noted that enrollment in its portfolio of schools — which include both traditional schools and those in the Innovation Network — has remained “remarkably stable.” That total figure dropped by roughly 4%, from over 32,000 students last year to under 31,000 this year.

The Mind Trust, meanwhile, noted that more students are attending autonomous schools — charters and Innovation Network schools, both charter and non-charter — than traditional district schools.

IPS, charter demographics remain largely unchanged

Racial and ethnic demographics have largely remained the same across district and charter schools.

Independent charters continue to have a higher proportion of Black students but a lower proportion of English language learners than IPS schools and charters in the Innovation Network.

Although immigration enforcement efforts have raised concerns about enrollment declines nationwide, the proportion of English language learners as a percentage of total enrollment has remained relatively stable.

The percentage of IPS students receiving free or reduced-price meals jumped from roughly 59% to nearly 68%, although both Innovation and independent charters continue to enroll a higher share of such students.

State data on enrollment levels of students with disabilities across the different school types is not yet available.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS school board member Allissa Impink announces run for Senate District 46

2026-01-16T23:01:47+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools board member Allissa Impink announced Friday that she would run for Indiana Senate District 46, which encompasses downtown, the near eastside, and southern parts of Indianapolis.

If Impink, who is running as a Democrat, wins what could be a crowded race for the seat in the November election, it would create a vacancy that IPS board members would have to fill.

Her announcement on Friday came after Democratic Sen. Andrea Hunley announced that she would not seek reelection to the seat. Hunley, a former principal in IPS, is considered to be among a handful of Democrats who could run for mayor in 2027, although she has not officially said she’s running.

Impink, a former IPS teacher, said in an interview Friday that she’s thought a lot about the impact of potentially leaving her IPS board seat early. Impink currently represents District 4, the southwest part of IPS and was elected in 2024.

“I typically have the value of finishing what I start,” she said. “But I also feel like, being able to transition into the senate seat, I will be still carrying that baton of valuing public education.”

Impink was a supporter of the district’s traditional public schools during the heated legislative session last year that pitted charters against the district in a fight for funding. She also voiced objections to the recommendation from a state-mandated task force to strip the school board of its power over transportation, buildings, and property taxes — a proposal lawmakers are now considering.

State law says the remaining school board members must appoint someone who lives in IPS boundaries to fill a vacant board seat. Three other seats on the school board are also up for election this year.

Clif Marsiglio, a Near Eastside community leader, also announced on Friday that he would seek election to Hunley’s seat as a Democrat.

Corrections and clarifications: This story has ben updated to accurately reflect Impink’s thoughts on leaving her board seat early.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Global Prep to open second location near Martindale-Brightwood to accommodate growth

2026-01-15T12:00:00+00:00

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Global Prep Academy will expand its middle school grades to a second site near Martindale-Brightwood with the $2.7 million purchase of a building directly off the Monon Trail.

The new building at 1002 E. 25th St. sits on a former industrial site and will be renovated to house up to 325 middle school students, according to Global Prep founder Mariama Shaheed.

The pre-K-8 charter school’s enrollment has more than tripled since launching as an autonomous Innovation Network school within Indianapolis Public Schools in 2016. The charter was tasked by the district with turning around the underperforming Riverside School 44 and started that year with 269 students. Today, it enrolls more than 800.

The second building, which Global Prep said will open in the fall, will free up space at School 44 roughly three miles away, where seventh and eighth grade students currently learn in a modular classroom outside the main building.

The expansion comes on the eve of what could be a transformation for IPS. State lawmakers are considering legislation that would force IPS to relinquish control of all its buildings to an independent authority, which could award space to deserving, high-performing charter and district schools.

But capacity has been a challenge at Global Prep for years, Shaheed said. Prior to deciding to open a second site near the Monon Trail, the school had planned to expand its program within Harshman Middle School as part of the district’s Rebuilding Stronger plan — but the district later abandoned this plan after pushback from the community there.

Shaheed attributes the enrollment growth in part to the school’s dual language model, as well as its support for all students, including those with disabilities.

“We’ve always had the approach that if you come to our doors, we’re going to serve you and serve you well,” Shaheed said.

Second site could help Global Prep’s founding mission

Shaheed said she was attracted to the site not only for its availability, but also because of her initial intent in founding Global Prep: to bring dual language education to more Black families.

The site is on the edge of Martindale-Brightwood, an area that has been home to working-class Black families and industrial companies, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.

The new location shares a transportation zone with the lower school in Riverside, remaining just on the edge of Zone 1. Families who live in Zone 1 and Zone 2, the northwestern and northern parts of the district, receive transportation to Global Prep.

Shaheed said the school is working with the district to get transportation to its second site, but added she hopes nearby students will also walk to school.

“We want kids to walk to school,” she said. “We want to be right there and serve that community.”

Since Global Prep transformed School 44 into a dual language program, its demographics have changed from majority Black to majority Hispanic.

Shaheed is working to increase the Black student population, with more intentional recruitment efforts at the kindergarten and pre-kindergarten level, she said.

New location for Global Prep has a railroad history

The middle school’s new location was once part of a railroad switching yard and a motor machinery warehouse, among other industrial uses, according to documents filed with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, or IDEM.

Global Prep Academy, a charter school in the Riverside neighborhood, will open a second location at a former printing facility off of east 25th Street near Martindale-Brightwood. The school, which has grown since taking over Riverside School 44, will place its middle school grades at the new site.

Given its past, it was classified as a brownfield — a federal and state classification given to sites that could have hazardous substances or contaminants.

But as long as the school adheres to a restrictive covenant placed on the land, it can have a “safe redevelopment of any kind,” officials with the Indiana Brownfield Program said in a statement.

That restriction requires the land owner to submit a soil management plan approved by IDEM before digging up soil. The soil management report commissioned by the school in 2025 and later approved by IDEM ultimately found that there were no hazardous concentrations of any contaminants in the soil, Indiana Brownfield Program officials said.

Shaheed said the school is also avoiding digging at the site altogether, instead working to renovate the existing building.

“We’ve done our due diligence in terms of bringing on the right people who know that work to make sure that as we move forward, we’re safe for kids,” she said.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS rescinds resolutions about undocumented students and floats new policy after Rokita ICE lawsuit

2026-01-13T19:36:55+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools has rescinded resolutions signaling support for undocumented students following a lawsuit from state Attorney General Todd Rokita.

Instead, a new proposed policy on student access, safety, and privacy says the district will continue to protect the confidentiality of student records and information while providing “equal access to public education” for all students who live within the district — regardless of immigration status.

The proposal comes in the wake of a November lawsuit from Rokita’s office that claims the district impeded federal immigration enforcement. Rokita alleged that IPS policies hindered the deportation of a “Honduran national” who opted to voluntarily leave the country with his son, an IPS student.

Attorneys for IPS have said in court that the district would adopt a new policy that would render the state’s lawsuit moot. The board is expected to vote on the policy proposal at its meeting in February, according to board president Angelia Moore.

The updates could ultimately change little in how the district serves and protects undocumented students, whose rights to education and privacy are already protected by a string of state and federal laws and a U.S. Supreme Court case. The lawsuit, however, claims the district policy violates a state law that prohibits government entities from restricting immigration enforcement.

Neither IPS nor Rokita’s office immediately responded to a request for comment. School board president Angelia Moore declined to comment on the proposed policy, citing the ongoing litigation.

New resolution maintains IPS support for all students

At a retreat on Saturday, the IPS school board rescinded two prior resolutions supporting undocumented students. One was adopted early in President Donald Trump’s first term, and the other was adopted early in his second term, amid high-profile and controversial immigration enforcement efforts.

One 2017 resolution stated the district’s support for creating a safe place for all students regardless of immigration status. It directed employees not to assist immigration enforcement efforts “unless legally required and authorized to do so by the Superintendent.”

Another 2025 resolution reaffirmed this commitment to all students.

But the resolution to rescind these prior commitments still maintains that the district supports all students and employees. It also references a variety of state and federal laws to protect immigrant families, including the federal Families and Educational Rights Privacy Act, known as FERPA, which restricts the ability of schools to provide student information to outside parties.

The resolution also references the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition of unreasonable search and seizure. Legal experts say Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents can only enter school grounds under certain circumstances.

And the resolution references the 1982 Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v. Doe that undocumented students have a right to public education.

The proposed IPS policy states that IPS will operate within the legal framework provided by the United States Constitution, the state constitution, federal and state civil rights laws, federal education privacy laws, and Indiana statutes on public education.

The superintendent will adopt training and protocols for staff regarding student privacy and requests from outside agencies seeking information or access to students, the proposed policy states.

Rokita’s ICE lawsuit hinges on deportation flight

Rokita’s lawsuit alleges that an IPS student, the son of a Honduran national, went to school on the morning of his father’s scheduled deportation flight. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement later contacted IPS to “help the father take custody of his son,” the lawsuit claims.

The district said it would not release the child to an ICE officer without a judicial warrant or court order, the lawsuit states.

“ICE responded that it simply was asking that the son be released to the father so that they could depart the country as he had agreed to do and that such action did not require a court order,” the lawsuit states.

Rokita’s lawsuit targeted several district policies, including the 2017 resolution.

His office has previously argued that FERPA does permit the disclosure of some information, such as directory information, that could be related to a student’s immigration status. He has also argued that school officials could still give consent for law enforcement to enter school grounds without violating the Fourth Amendment.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Legislative proposal would create a new mayor-appointed board over Indianapolis schools and charter schools

2026-01-08T18:36:04+00:00

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A much-anticipated proposal that would give the Indianapolis mayor more power over schools while reducing the power of the existing elected school board has been filed in the statehouse. The bill marks the next step toward a fundamental shift in how Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools operate, and could go into effect in just a few months.

HB 1423 largely falls in line with the recommendations of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance and would create an Indianapolis Public Education Corporation made of nine board members appointed by the mayor. The new body would have the authority to control and manage school property, as well as to establish and oversee a transportation plan to transport all students within Indianapolis Public Schools boundaries — the two primary goals lawmakers had for the work of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance.

The Indianapolis mayor would need to appoint members to the corporation body by June 1, 2026.

The bill would require all schools within district boundaries — district and charter — to offer transportation. Currently, fewer than half of independent charter schools offer bus services, while roughly half of charters in the IPS Innovation Network use IPS bus services, according to a report from the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

In a significant shift of power, the district would lose its authority to levy and collect property taxes or issue debt, powers that would instead go to the new corporation. The legislation tasks the corporation with developing a formula by which to distribute property tax funds to schools.

The bill does not, however, mention the need for additional special education funding — a recommendation from the ILEA that does not appear to have been adopted.

The legislation comes after months of heated public meetings during which parents, students, school leaders, and community members debated the future of schools in Indianapolis. Supporters of IPS decried efforts to take power from the elected school board, voicing concern over publicly funded, privately run charter schools. Charter school supporters, meanwhile, pushed back against any attempts to limit charter school growth and advocated for more student transportation options.

The bill will be heard on Monday at 9:30 a.m. in the House Education Committee, according to committee chair and bill author Rep. Bob Behning of Indianapolis. If it passes the committee, it will head to a vote in the full House, then the Senate.

Bill limits charter authorizers, requires closure of low-performing schools

The legislation would also limit charter authorizing within IPS boundaries to the mayor’s office, the Indiana Charter School Board, and the IPS school board, which has expressed interest in becoming an authorizer. Schools overseen by other authorizers would be able to remain with those authorizers until the end of their charter term.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance backs plan to create new education authority to oversee IPS, charter schools

The corporation board would be composed of three charter school leaders, three IPS commissioners, and three other members who have expertise in capital planning, facilities, transportation, or logistics or experience working with vulnerable student populations, as recommended by the ILEA. Each member’s term would be four years, though they would be eligible for reappointment.

Under the proposal, the new body would establish and manage a unified enrollment system, as well as a single school performance framework.

The school rating system must be based on academic performance and assessments, student discipline, enrollment, condition of school property, and the health of the school’s finances, organization, and governance. The framework must also close chronically low-performing schools.

School boards would still be responsible for running day-to-day operations of district and charter schools, retaining the power to hire and fire employees or create their own school budgets.

Bill sets deadlines for transfer of financial responsibilities

The bill would ultimately shift financial responsibility of taxes and bonds from the IPS school board to the corporation.

The corporation would assume the power to seek voter-approved tax increases for operating or capital expenses in April. That’s when the corporation would also become liable for all the outstanding debt of the district — typically used for larger expenses such as building maintenance or construction projects — which would no longer be able to issue bonds for debt.

How a fractured Indianapolis school system reached the verge of a huge power shakeup

However, the existing operating and capital referendum funds, approved by voters in IPS in 2018 and 2023, respectively, would still go to IPS to cover costs that voters specifically approved at the ballot.

The bill also exempts IPS from a state law requiring school districts to give unused or underutilized school buildings to charter schools for the sale or lease price of $1.

The bill could still see significant amendments during the 2026 session. Behning previously expressed skepticism about giving the Indianapolis mayor authority to appoint all nine members of the body. He did not immediately respond to a question from Chalkbeat Thursday.

Following the bill’s filing on Thursday, Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office declined to comment beyond a previously published op-ed by the mayor in the Indianapolis Star. In it, Hogsett, who chaired the ILEA, expressed support for the groups’ recommendations and asked for “our local voices to remain at the forefront” of the conversation at the statehouse.

Scott Bess of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center, which advocates for charters around the state and in Indianapolis, said the group is generally supportive of the bill, but raised concerns about limiting charter authorizers and requiring schools to offer transportation.

IPS said in a statement that the district was still analyzing the bill language.

This story was updated to include more background information and responses from Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office, the Indiana Charter Innovation Center, and Indianapolis Public Schools.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

How a fractured Indianapolis school system reached the verge of a huge power shakeup

2025-12-19T21:57:06+00:00

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In December 2011, a well-funded nonprofit group founded by two powerful Democrats — a former Indianapolis mayor and his one-time charter school chief — floated a bold idea.

It was a plan to radically remake Indianapolis Public Schools, which was struggling academically and losing students to the city’s growing charter school sector.

One of the policy prescriptions in The Mind Trust’s 2011 Opportunity Schools report was a somewhat wild notion: that the mayor could take charge of the school system through a new local board that was appointed. The elected IPS school board would be effectively sidelined.

Fourteen years later, it could be on the verge of happening.

A state-mandated task force called the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, composed mostly of members connected to the charter sector, voted this week to recommend that a mayoral-appointed board oversee a new agency in charge of both city school district and charter schools.

The action now shifts to the Republican-controlled statehouse, where lawmakers are expected to craft legislation drawing from the recommendations but may not follow them faithfully.

That the city’s schools sit on the cusp of such radical change is the culmination of over half a century’s worth of educational, political, and social disruption for Indianapolis schools that opened the door for education reformers and their allies to advance their vision.

“You get what you can when you can,” Paul Hill, founder of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, said of the steps it took Indianapolis to get here. “I do think that there were people — and probably in Indianapolis more than some other places — where people really were just kind of taking one step at a time.”

Understanding the factors that led Indianapolis schools to this moment requires going back to 1954 and a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that reshaped the country’s schools.

Desegregation sparks decades of declining IPS enrollment

As schools nationwide desegregated following the Brown v. Board of Education ruling of 1954, Indiana lawmakers were pondering what might have seemed like a very different issue: how to make Indianapolis both bigger and more unified.

The solution they adopted in 1969 was to merge local government services into a city-county system known as Unigov.

But leaders did not merge IPS with the surrounding township schools in Marion County. That was because combining the mostly Black IPS district with the mostly white township districts would have sparked a political firestorm and threatened the bill’s passage.

“Unigov was not a perfect consolidation,” then-Mayor Richard Lugar previously told Chalkbeat. “A good number of people really wanted to keep at least their particular school segregated.”

A portrait of basketball team at Crispus Attucks High School and their coach, EJ Hooper, in Indianapolis in the late 1920s. (Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty Images)

Isolating IPS schools and putting off desegregation would have long-term ramifications.

In 1971, a federal judge found IPS guilty of maintaining racially segregated schools. Judge S. Hugh Dillin’s 1971 order to integrate schools — later tied up in a yearslong legal battle — arrived at the start of an IPS enrollment decline that continues today, eroding district finances.

Many white families left the district. In 1981, IPS lost more students when it bused thousands of Black students to six surrounding township districts under a court order.

That year, desegregation and declining enrollment forced the district to close 10 schools. Enrollment ultimately plunged from 108,000 in 1971 — the same year as Dillin’s ruling — to just 47,000 by the early 1990s.

Mandated busing to townships ended in 2016, when the busing order ended. By then, the district had already closed at least 23 additional schools, according to board documents, news articles, and archives from the Indianapolis Public Library.

This year, there are only about 21,000 students in schools IPS runs directly, or about 80% below district enrollment just over half a century ago. IPS enrollment consists overwhelmingly of students of color. And in 2022, the IPS school board voted to close six schools as part of a sweeping overhaul of facilities and curriculum.

The mayor who made charter schools his focus

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, IPS was plagued with headlines about students’ poor academic performance.

That negative attention helped open the door for a new type of public school: the charter school. And a former Indianapolis mayor was at the heart of charter schools’ ascent in the city.

When Indiana passed a law permitting charter schools in 2001, it was part of a national wave of education reform enabled by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 and the systematic expansion of standardized testing, said Sarah Reckhow, a political science professor at Michigan State University and co-author of “Outside Money in School Board Elections,” which profiles Indianapolis.

But how the city decided to end up authorizing charters ultimately set Indianapolis apart from others during this era, she noted.

The law passed with the backing of Democratic Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson. It gave the mayor the power to authorize charter schools. Some hailed charters — which are publicly funded but privately run — as a potential solution to traditional public schools’ struggles.

“I believe the charter schools were really the right kind of middle ground approach, and could eventually potentially be a consensus — could build an alternative to the kind of polarized hostility that existed back then,” Peterson previously told Chalkbeat.

Peterson’s connection to charters continued when he left office. In 2006, he co-founded The Mind Trust with David Harris, who was director of charter schools in his administration. Its goal: to “transform the public education system” in the city, in part by developing new schools and recruiting talented leaders to guide them, according to tax filings at the time.

Although not all the city’s charters have had the group’s support, ultimately the group contributed significantly to the charter sector’s rapid growth. In 2006, there were about 15 charter schools within IPS borders. Today, there are over 50. (The Mind Trust’s funding through contributions and grants has also grown from under $1 million in 2006 to over $28 million in fiscal 2024, according to tax information.)

Mind Trust CEO Brandon Brown credits Peterson with building the foundation for the city’s charter schools.

“To have a mayor that happened to be a Democrat run for office in support of charter schools and support and utilize the ability to serve as a charter school authorizer was nationally unique,” Brown said. He added that the mayor’s role provided a way “to pursue school reform without necessarily needing to take over an entire school district.”

This year, Peterson served as a member of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance. He was one of eight task force members who voted to adopt its recommendations.

Education reform takes root in Indianapolis

Other advocacy groups supporting education reform emerged in The Mind Trust’s wake. Stand for Children launched its Indiana affiliate in 2011, organizing parents to speak at board meetings on topics such as closing the opportunity gap for students of color. RISE Indy formed in 2019, focused on promoting policies and programs to advance educational equity. Both groups advocate for charters too.

Beginning in 2012, money from out-of-state school choice advocates also flowed into IPS school board races, including from PACs associated with those groups.

“What made the school board elections really important in the eyes of especially school choice advocates nationally — and what made them rise to the level of attracting this outside money — is that there was this sort of local discretion about how charter schools would grow or not grow,” Reckhow said.

In 2014, charters’ influence increased when they gained access to district resources through a law brokered by statehouse Republicans and then-IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee.

That arrangement led to the district’s Innovation Network, which 25 charter schools now participate in.

Today, charters serve around 40% of the roughly 49,000 K-12 public school or voucher students living within IPS borders, according to the most recent state data.

How IPS lost its grip on property taxes

Charters gained significant support in Indianapolis over time. But even as they grew, they lacked access to a critical source of revenue: local property taxes that help traditional districts pay for transportation and facilities.

Instead, for many years, they relied on philanthropic funding from organizations like The Mind Trust to cover those costs.

The public funding inequity created a political problem for IPS. In 2022, IPS planned a referendum for $413.6 million in property taxes for the following year. Though the district planned to give some of the funding to its Innovation Network charters, it resisted giving any to independent charters, citing concerns about transparency and accountability.

Charter school leaders and advocates publicly pressured the district to share more of those dollars. They cited a gap in per-pupil spending between district and charters that would reach over $10,000 for independent charters if IPS didn’t share money from the referendum.

Early in 2023, IPS decided not to put the referendum on the ballot. That was a major blow to the district’s finances: IPS projects it will run into the red shortly after the 2018 referendum expires in 2026.

All the while, lawmakers at the statehouse were watching.

After seeing these fights over financial and other issues play out, Republican lawmakers drafted a bill in 2025 that would dissolve IPS and replace it with charter schools. They cited the high number of students opting out of IPS and the district’s poor finances.

“The goal is to get them into a financial spot so that they can continue to exist,” Rep. Jake Teshka, a Republican who co-authored the bill, previously told Chalkbeat. “Nobody woke up one day and said, ‘We really want to dissolve IPS. We want to attack IPS.’”

The bill failed. But it foreshadowed GOP lawmakers’ priorities in 2025: They created the ILEA to address how the district could share its transportation and building resources with charters.

On top of that, charters secured significant funding wins. Perhaps most significantly, lawmakers passed legislation that required IPS to share its property tax revenues with all charter schools that enroll students living within its boundaries.

Lawmakers also adopted property tax relief during the 2025 session that will hurt district coffers statewide. Both measures combined are expected to cost the district millions annually.

The recommendations the ILEA adopted on Wednesday include giving the new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation the power to impose property taxes for district and charter schools.

That could lead IPS to lose still more control over its finances — and by extension, its future.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia atapak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance backs plan to create new education authority to oversee IPS, charter schools

2025-12-18T01:24:32+00:00

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In a move with potentially profound consequences for Indianapolis education, a state-backed task force has told lawmakers they should establish a new agency to oversee both the city school district and charter schools.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance voted 8-1 on Wednesday to recommend the creation of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation that could set and enforce standards for both district and charter schools. The new agency would consist of nine members appointed by the mayor: three IPS board members, three charter leaders, and three at-large members, all of whom would have to live within IPS boundaries.

The new corporation would have the power to impose property taxes for both charter and IPS schools. It would also manage the district’s buildings and transportation services through its own staff, establish a framework for school accountability, and manage a unified enrollment system.

If state lawmakers agree to turn the ILEA’s recommendations into law, the vote would mark a monumental shift in the city’s educational landscape. It would represent a significant loss of power for IPS and a qualified victory for charter supporters, after years of rising conflict between the two sectors. The GOP-run state legislature has become increasingly skeptical of IPS while passing legislation favorable to charters when it comes to issues like property taxes.

In addition, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance voted to restrict the number of charter school authorizers to the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, the Indiana Charter School Board, and the IPS school board, which this week said it will seek to become a charter authorizer. The recommendations also require all schools to offer transportation to students living within the IPS boundary, and exempt IPS buildings from a state law that requires districts to make unused buildings available to charter schools for the sale or lease price of $1.

Under the recommendations, school boards would retain the power to set certain policies, hire leaders — including the superintendent — and approve budgets and contracts. The recommendations, which will be in a final report, were outlined to the public in a presentation.

ILEA member Tina Ahlgren, an IPS parent and teacher, was the sole no vote.

The ILEA’s recommendations come amid struggles by both IPS and charters to address structural challenges.

The district has been losing students for years. IPS also has significant long-term financial problems as well as underutilized buildings. Charters, meanwhile, have struggled to acquire buildings and provide transportation services as their enrollments have grown, and roughly 1 in 3 Indianapolis charters closed from 2001 to 2023.

The ILEA’s recommendation to reduce the power of the IPS board matches the desire among many charter supporters for less power to rest with the elected school board.

But supporters of traditional IPS schools have not only opposed efforts to diminish the elected school board; they’ve also pushed for the board to exercise power over charters as well as district-run schools. They’ve criticized the growth of charters, calling for more accountability in that sector, and said that the elected school board should serve as the only charter authorizer.

In a statement before the vote, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson — who is an ILEA member and voted yes — said she championed many of the recommendations.

But not all the details of what the ILEA has recommended are clear yet, she noted. She urged the public to keep pressure on state lawmakers to ensure any new authority is transparent and values community input.

“In my most pessimistic moments, I can assume that those details will be filled in ways that intentionally bring harm to families, staff and students in IPS,” Johnson said. “However, because the details aren’t filled in, I actually do — naively or not — hold some level of optimism.”

The Mind Trust, a nonprofit that’s supported many Indianapolis charter schools, celebrated the “bold, structural changes” in the ILEA recommendations.

“Separating the education of students from the management of real estate and transportation is a nationally unique innovation that The Mind Trust has long supported,” Brandon Brown, the group’s CEO, said in a statement Wednesday. “This approach will expand access to transportation for thousands of students, ensure that facility access is tied to school quality, and create a path to full funding parity by ensuring capital funds are available to charter schools that opt in.”

Some speakers say elected board should maintain power

Several people expressed hostility to the ILEA’s plans on Wednesday, and some didn’t wait until the task force’s meeting began to do so.

Roughly 60 people supportive of traditional IPS schools gathered outside of the City-County Building ahead of the vote to urge the ILEA to consider a Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America proposal that would expand the power of the elected IPS board. They also attacked how charter schools operate and the private interests that support them.

“We’re told, ‘This is for the kids,’ but if that was true, the money and political will behind privatization could have fully supported public schools serving mostly Black and brown students decades ago,” said Brianna Dines of the Central Indiana DSA.

In a public comment period at the meeting before the ILEA voted, many speakers chastised the task force for diluting the school board’s power. Pastor Clyde Posley Jr. said the ILEA’s process amounted to political overreach.

“To remove the voices of elected board officials and replace them with other overt or private agendas — which do not benefit our children in the short or long term, but only invite scavengers and investors to pillage off the plight of a broken school system — is not only wrong, it is vicious toward the well being of our children and their future,” Posley Jr. said.

Meanwhile, organizations that back charter schools celebrated the recommendations minutes after the vote.

“While the ILEA’s final plan differs somewhat from advocates’ ideas, parents celebrated the focus on stronger school accountability, a growing transportation system and a more unified and coherent approach to school facilities,” Stand for Children Indiana, a parent advocacy group that has pushed to expand certain charter models, said in a statement.

Universal ratings could guide school closure decisions

Under the recommendations, the new corporation would create an advisory board that would collaborate with charter authorizers and IPS to develop unified accountability standards. Those would be based on measures such as test scores and student discipline practices.

Both charter and district schools would need to commit to use the standards to make decisions about closing chronically low-performing schools — provided that struggling schools are given time to make improvements.

The task force also recommended that the legislature fund the full cost of educating students with disabilities. The ILEA noted that IPS spends millions more to educate students with disabilities than what the state provides.

It’s unclear whether the new authority would assume control of both IPS school buildings and those owned by charters.

The task force also noted that details on how exactly to collect and distribute property taxes would need to be ironed out with fiscal experts at the statehouse. Other topics, the group noted, also require further legal review.

Ahlgren highlighted the lack of details in the recommendations as a key reason why she could not support them.

“I find these recommendations falling into this bizarre zone of simultaneously feeling both too much and not enough, bold in some areas, but overly timid in others, with vague promises that the ecosystem will sort itself out,” she said. “I’ve done enough policy work … to understand the dangers of leaving important elements up to chance — or worse, a legislature which historically has not aligned with the values of this community.”

Before his vote of support, ILEA member Andrew Neal acknowledged to the crowd that “this is an imperfect plan.” But he said he was proud the group recommended mandating transportation, and called on the legislature to adequately fund students with disabilities.

Lawmakers will return to the statehouse on Jan. 5 to resume the legislative session.

This story has been updated to include additional details about the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance’s recommendations and comments from officials and members of the public.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS school board says it wants to be charter authorizer

2025-12-16T23:42:50+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board said it will start the process to be a charter authorizer, a major step announced the day before a vote that could lead to less power for the elected school board.

The statement sent to Chalkbeat comes on the eve of major changes to IPS and charter schools. The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is considering proposals that would dilute the school board’s power, creating one entity to oversee both district and charter schools and is set to vote Wednesday on final recommendations to send to state lawmakers.

The move by the IPS board means it would have the power to open or close charter schools and hold the schools accountable based on certain standards. Adding IPS as a charter authorizer is not part of the formal proposals the ILEA is considering, despite suggestions from education advocacy groups.

State law allows the IPS school board to become an authorizer. The board made an attempt to authorize charter schools after Indiana passed its the charter law in 2001, but never authorized any. Instead, charters open in IPS borders today are overseen by one of three authorizers: the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, the Indiana Charter School Board, and Education One at Trine University.

State law requires school boards to register with the state board of education for chartering authority within district boundaries.

In its statement, the board said that its partnerships with charters in its Innovation Network of autonomous schools have set the foundation for charter authorizing. While those charters are approved by an authorizer to open, they must also strike an agreement with IPS to operate as an Innovation Network school. Those agreements can be renewed or non-renewed.

The board also said the decision to start the authorization process would be a “step toward unparalleled local accountability.”

“For too long, the accountability we have sought has been inconsistent across authorizers,” the IPS board statement said. “We believe we can, and must, lead the pack, by establishing the rigorous and consistent standards necessary to serve our incredible 41,000 students and set the benchmark for quality education in our city.”

Amid public fervor over the ILEA’s proposed governance changes, some groups have called for the school board to become an authorizer.

Stand for Children Indiana, which has advocated for the expansion of high-performing charter models, has called for a partially elected, partially appointed school board that serves as the charter authorizer. The group’s proposal has also called for an end to district-run schools and for all schools in IPS to become autonomous — either as an Innovation school or a charter school — with their own boards.

A coalition of groups supportive of traditional IPS schools, meanwhile, has called for a fully elected school board to serve as authorizer and oversee both district and charter schools.

Earlier on Tuesday, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and Mayor Joe Hogsett — both members of the alliance — voiced support for limiting charter authorization to two entities: the Office of Education and the Indiana Charter School Board.

Charter advocates have opposed having one charter authorizer in Indianapolis.

Correction: This story was updated to accurately reflect the district’s history as a charter authorizer.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools to change immigration-related policies after Todd Rokita’s ICE lawsuit

2025-12-15T21:55:02+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools plans on changing its policies to address a lawsuit from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita that claims the district impeded federal immigration enforcement.

In a court filing last month, the district said it was in the process of changing its policies at the heart of the lawsuit, which took aim at a 2017 resolution directing employees not to assist immigration enforcement efforts without the superintendent’s approval.

It’s unclear what policies the district plans to change. In response to questions from Chalkbeat, the district last week referred to a previous statement that reiterated its “non-negotiable” commitment to the safety of its students. But that 2017 resolution, which reaffirmed the district’s commitment to a safe environment for students regardless of immigration status, is no longer on the district’s website.

A link to that resolution was on an IPS web page that Rokita also targeted that provided support for undocumented students and families. That web page is no longer online. It assured families that the district does not ask students about their immigration status and adhered to the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act that keeps student records private. ICE officers must generally provide a judicial warrant to enter school grounds, the website said.

Rokita sued the district in November, alleging that IPS policies hindered the deportation of a “Honduran national” who opted to voluntarily leave the country in January with his son, an IPS student. Those policies, he argued, violated state law that prohibits governmental entities from restricting immigration enforcement laws.

In a court hearing on Monday, Ken Falk of the ACLU of Indiana, which is representing IPS, said that the school board will vote on the policy changes around mid-January. Those changes could address Rokita’s concerns and render the lawsuit moot.

Marion County Judge John Chavis agreed to give the district until Feb. 2 to respond to the complaint. The district will also share the policy changes with the attorney general’s office by that date, after which the office could either decide that the changes satisfy state law or continue the lawsuit.

Last month, the district said in its filing that it does not concede that the policies are in violation of state law.

The changes come as schools deal with the fallout from ramped-up immigration enforcement during President Donald Trump’s second term. During Trump’s first term, IPS and districts nationwide moved to protect undocumented students on school grounds by adopting various resolutions committing to their safety.

The lawsuit claims that the student disregarded his father’s desire to leave the country and went to school on Jan. 8, the day of the father’s scheduled deportation flight. When Immigrations and Customs Enforcement contacted IPS to “help the father take custody of his son,” the district refused to release the child to ICE without a judicial warrant or court order.

“ICE responded that it simply was asking that the son be released to the father so that they could depart the country as the father had agreed to do and that such action did not require a court order,” Rokita said in the complaint.

The lawsuit also claimed that the district adopted an “officer response protocol” in early 2025 that directed staff not to share information on the immigration status of students, family members, or staff members with federal authorities.

In the lawsuit, Rokita argued that the district could still allow ICE on school grounds without a warrant.

The school board and community members have criticized Rokita’s lawsuit, calling it a political stunt. The school board has also launched an online petition about the issue.

“While political posturing may seek to divide, we remain united in our belief that education should never be weaponized or politicized,” says the petition, which has over 2,500 signatures.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

ILEA proposals to change who runs Indianapolis schools in spotlight again at public hearing

2025-12-15T20:54:12+00:00

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Is this thing even on?

That’s what people at a public hearing on the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance wondered after the mic briefly stopped working — a technical glitch that underscored their real question: whether the group had not only heard but truly understood concerns about their work so far.

Those comments from some of the roughly two dozen attendees at the Madam Walker Legacy Center on Monday took place two days before the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance’s vote on its final recommendations Wednesday.

The alliance is considering two proposals that would both reduce the power of the elected IPS school board. One would give oversight of charter and IPS schools to a collaborative board consisting of IPS, mayoral, and charter school appointees. Another would give oversight to an independent Indianapolis Education Authority within the mayor’s office, and create a new secretary of education position.

But would an appointed board listen and be responsive to the public’s views about schools? Several people in the audience on Monday were skeptical. They pointed out that the ILEA — which consists of appointed members — was advancing proposals to create appointed boards, despite public support for elected ones.

“The thing I see here is consolidation of executive authority to individuals who do not have direct accountability to the public,” said Madison Whitcomb, a community member. “I don’t want people appointing anybody. I want them elected. When I elect someone, I have a voice in that.”

ILEA member and former mayor Bart Peterson rejected the idea that public feedback had reached any kind of consensus. Ultimately, the ILEA’s recommendations will likely leave some people disappointed, he said.

“It’s not about pleasing any individual,” he said. “It’s about trying to figure out the best thing to do for our city, for our students, and our families.”

It’s unclear whether state lawmakers will adopt the task force’s recommendations or mandate their own changes.

The alliance was created by state lawmakers to make recommendations on how charters and Indianapolis Public Schools could share transportation and facility resources. But to address those challenges, the group is also tackling the question of who in the city should have oversight of public schools.

Groups supporting IPS have criticized the two proposals to change how schools are run, and instead have called for an elected school board to oversee both district and charter schools. On Monday, they also raised concerns about how the city would fund a new secretary of education position and other staff necessary to maintain the proposed Indianapolis Education Authority.

But IPS has financial concerns, too, including a precipitous funding cliff that could lead to schools closing, said Chris Bultman executive director of external affairs at Indiana Math and Science Academy, an independent charter school.

“That would be bad, that would reduce choice,” he said.

IPS currently operates at a deficit that’s reached tens of millions of dollars, said Andrew Strope, IPS deputy superintendent, who spoke at the public comment session. And the effects of a new law that both caps property tax revenue and requires school districts to share that revenue with charter schools will further impact the district’s operations fund by up to $50 million.

Some charter school supporters have praised some aspects of the two proposals the ILEA will consider Wednesday, but have also warned the group not to recommend infringing on charters’ independence.

Bultman said he liked the ILEA’s proposed governance models because they retained his school’s elected board to make decisions for the school. But the ILEA should avoid limiting the number of charter authorizers, or placing a moratorium on new schools, he said.

Stand for Children Indiana, an advocacy group that’s backed the expansion of charter school models, has proposed a board that’s partly elected and partly appointed by the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

Stand for Children has also called for an end to district-run schools, calling for all schools to be autonomous — either as an Innovation Network school or a charter school — with their own boards. The head of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center has also called for all schools to become autonomous.

The task force is also considering two sets of proposals for how IPS and charters could share transportation and facilities. In one model, schools would participate in and pay into a collaborative that manages transportation and building services. In another model, an independent authority would collect property taxes and oversee those services.

The ILEA will meet at 6 p.m. on Dec. 17 at the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington St. and will take another hour of public comment before discussing and then voting on final recommendations.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Parents, students skeptical of ILEA proposals to change who oversees Indianapolis schools

2025-12-11T03:19:59+00:00

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Parents and others have expressed skepticism about a task force’s proposals to change who oversees charters and Indianapolis Public Schools, arguing the plans would create additional bureaucracy without improving education.

Roughly 100 people attended a public input session at KIPP Indy Legacy High School on Wednesday, just one week before the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance votes on recommendations to make sweeping changes to IPS and charters. Their recommendations will go to state lawmakers.

The alliance will consider two proposals that would significantly dilute the power of the elected IPS school board. One gives oversight of both charter and IPS schools to a collaborative board consisting of IPS, mayoral, and charter school appointees. Another gives oversight to an independent Indianapolis Education Authority within the mayor’s office.

But both proposals encountered virtually universal criticism on Wednesday. In a breakout group during the session that focused on the best structure for governing schools, supporters of both IPS and charter schools said either option could result in more bureaucracy.

“One of the reasons that our school system is failing our students is because we keep on inventing new ways of creating structures that don’t really care about the learning inside the classroom,” said Bony Georges, an IPS teacher who is also an advocate with Stand for Children Indiana, which has supported expanding charter school models. “At the end of the day, I’m confident it will fail. Why? Because parents, students don’t care about school systems that we are creating, models that we are creating — they care about good education.”

Other parents questioned how these proposals would foster collaboration between IPS and the charter sector, or how they would close the opportunity gap between students of color and their white peers.

Groups supporting IPS have pushed the ILEA to consider giving the elected IPS school board expanded powers, including becoming the sole authorizer of charters in district boundaries.

Meanwhile, Stand for Children’s advocates have proposed that a new hybrid IPS school board, partly elected and partly appointed by the mayor’s Office of Education innovation, should serve as the charter authorizer. The plan also calls for district-run schools to become Innovation or charter schools with their own boards.

Samantha Douglas, president of the Far Eastside Community Council, said her experience has shown that the city’s current boards with appointed members already consist of individuals who do not represent their residents well.

“What you’re proposing is that we have more boards with more appointees that will continue to not represent general residents well,” she said.

ILEA members at Wednesday’s meeting explained their support or opposition to the various models.

Former mayor Bart Peterson said he did not favor a model that would put an elected IPS school board in charge of boh district-run and charter schools. He pointed out that the district has never chosen to authorize a school — even though state law gives IPS that ability.

“I don’t think the charter school community would believe — I don’t believe — that that is the environment in which all of the decision-making ought to occur,” Peterson said.

Another ILEA member, Tobin McClamroch, said the two proposals that would reduce the current IPS board’s authority prioritized collaboration. By bringing charters and district schools together under one entity, he said, it would create an economy of scale that would make IPS sustainable as it faces serious long-term fiscal concerns.

Students from charter and district schools also voiced skepticism that the proposals would make a real impact in their classrooms or affect how they get to school. Instead, they cited the need for help with other problems students face: gun violence, mental health challenges, and getting to and from school safely.

KIPP Indy Legacy High School senior Dazlyn Delarosa said both options under consideration by the ILEA that would dilute the elected school board’s power are unpopular with the public and do not address the issues at hand.

But she also criticized the lack of input from students who, like her, have struggled with challenges like housing instability. In their own breakout group Wednesday, she said, students discussed the importance of safety.

“That is what they care about — that’s all they care about. They want to be safe when they go to school,” she said. “They want to know that there are adults with them. They want to know that security is available. They want to feel safe coming to school, being in a safe building.”

The task force is also considering two sets of proposals for how transportation and facilities could be shared by district and charter schools.

In one model, schools participate in and pay into a collaborative that handles transportation and building services. In another model, an independent authority collects property taxes and oversees those services.

The next public listening session is on Monday from 12-2 p.m. at the Madame Walker Legacy Center at 617 Indiana Ave. The ILEA’s final vote on which recommendations to adopt will be held on Dec. 17 at the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington St.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated to include more details on Stand for Children’s proposal.

As the ILEA mulls changing how Indianapolis schools are run, here are 5 key unanswered questions

2025-12-11T00:25:43+00:00

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A state-mandated task force is one step away from proposing major changes to who oversees public schools in Indianapolis. But even at this late stage, significant questions remain.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is weighing two options that would leave the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board in place but significantly weaken its power. The task force is mulling two possibilities. One model would create a “collaborative compact advisory board” that would oversee both traditional public schools and charter schools. The other would establish a separate authority and create a new position for Indianapolis schools: a secretary of education.

Such a loss of power by the elected IPS board could have profound effects on the city’s schools and change their relationships with students, families, state officials, and others. But beyond that, it’s not clear how much detail for each option the ILEA will include in its final recommendations.

It’s also uncertain whether state lawmakers will adopt the ILEA’s recommendations, or whether they will flesh out the task force’s proposals through new laws or other means.

The ILEA is also weighing recommendations to change how transportation and buildings are managed. One model would create a collaborative advisory board in which schools would voluntarily work together and pay for services. The other would create an independent authority that would manage and possibly dictate services to schools.

The task force is considering both models for each of the two issues; it could recommend a collaborative board for transportation but an independent authority for buildings, for example.

The ILEA will vote to adopt final recommendations on Dec. 17.

Here are a few major unanswered questions that the alliance could address in its final recommendations — and what we know right now.

Who exactly would be in charge of schools?

The proposed collaborative compact advisory board would be made up of an unknown number of appointees from IPS, the mayor’s office, and charter schools. But how those appointees would be chosen is unclear.

Then there’s the other option, which would create the Indianapolis Education Authority. In an initial draft, that authority would have a nine-member board appointed by the mayor. The mayor would have to appoint four of the nine members from the elected IPS board.

But the draft advanced by the ILEA last week removed the requirement to have four IPS board members on the Indianapolis Education Authority, and didn’t specify who would appoint the authority’s members.

It’s also unclear how much either of those options would overlap with the ILEA’s separate recommendations for transportation and buildings.

How much power would these new authorities have?

In both governance models, the IPS board and charter school boards would still exist and report up to a new authority.

But how much power the new authority would have is unclear. It could have the power to impose and collect property taxes and authorize new charter schools. It could also set policies for all schools to ensure charter and IPS schools are held to the same standards — such as guidelines for students with disabilities or discipline.

In theory, the IPS school board and individual charter school boards could still be in charge of day-to-day school operations, including hiring and firing school leaders and superintendents or approving yearly budgets — the most important functions elected boards have.

Collaborative advisory boards for transportation and facilities could allow participating schools to agree on decisions such as transportation zones or opening or closing schools. In contrast, independent transportation or facility authorities that receive property tax dollars directly could dictate some of these decisions to the schools.

Would all students have school transportation?

It’s unclear whether all students would receive transportation to school under the ILEA’s recommendations.

There seems to be some consensus among ILEA members that to bus all students to any school they want to attend — regardless of distance — would be too costly.

But the larger unanswered question is whether all schools would be required to offer transportation to students living within a certain distance of the school.

About half of the 25 charter schools in the IPS Innovation Network use the district’s bus services. Less than half of the 29 independent charter schools provide bus service, according to a September report from the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, which authorizes charters.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, who has objected to stripping the district of its authority over transportation, said at an ILEA meeting last month that schools should be required to participate in a transportation service. She said this would address the problem that the alliance is trying to solve, which is how to ensure every school offers transportation.

If schools decline to do so, she said, then they should not receive property tax dollars earmarked for transportation.

Four other ILEA members have told Chalkbeat they would support a requirement for schools to offer transportation: Tina Ahlgren, Barato Britt, Andrew Neal, and Angela Smith-Jones.

But former mayor Bart Peterson, who’s also an ILEA member, said there would need to be limits on how far students could live from their school and still receive transportation.

Will new charter schools be allowed to open?

It’s unclear whether the ILEA will address the issue of opening new schools.

In the proposals, there’s no mention of stopping new public schools from opening in Indianapolis. But in an ILEA meeting last month, Ahlgren and Smith-Jones voiced support for a moratorium on new schools.

“We have to have a pause, because you cannot continue to have just a rolling wheel of change,” Smith-Jones said last month. “To me that feels unstable.”

In practice, such a moratorium would likely disproportionately impact charters, which have grown in number in recent years as the number of IPS-run schools have shrunk, although roughly one-third of charters have closed since 2001.

In a related matter, IPS supporters are also calling for just one charter authorizer instead of the three currently overseeing schools in Indianapolis. Charter school leaders and advocates have opposed limiting the number of authorizers and any moratorium on new schools.

Would charter schools need to give up their buildings?

Few charter schools own vehicles that transport students. But over 20 charter schools own their buildings and a little over a dozen leased them in the 2023-24 school year, according to a report from the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation. Those arrangements include millions in remaining financial obligations.

It’s unclear whether the alliance will recommend that charter schools give up authority over those assets.

“How are property rights exercised by an independent authority over buildings that are owned in lots of different ways by lots of different entities?” Peterson said at the ILEA’s meeting in November.

It’s also unclear whether the ILEA will recommend the state repeal a law that allows charter schools to buy unused school buildings from IPS for $1 under certain conditions. The law has sparked conflict between IPS and charters for years.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Groups backing IPS slam proposals advanced by task force that would reduce elected board’s power

2025-12-04T23:55:45+00:00

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A coalition supporting Indianapolis Public Schools is blasting a task force’s proposals to dilute the power of the elected school board, and is also calling for IPS to have the power to authorize charter schools.

The coalition’s response on Thursday comes on the heels of recommendations advanced by the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance on Wednesday that would dramatically alter how district and charter schools in the city are governed. The groups in the coalition — the Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America, the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Education Association, and the IPS Parent Council — have been critical of the growth of charters.

The coalition also shared an alternative proposal, authored by the Central Indiana DSA, for changing how schools are run that would provide the elected IPS school board more power, not less.

Kristen Phair of the IPS Parent Council said at a press conference that the alliance’s proposals ignored the wishes of more than 1,000 families who signed a letter calling for an elected school board to serve as the sole authorizer of charter schools.

“Parents have consistent serious concerns: the weakening of democratic oversight, the creation of new authorities with unclear accountability over transportation, facilities, and public funds, and a rushed timeline that has allowed only limited and shallow engagement,” Phair said. “There is no evidence that these changes will benefit our kids.”

The charter school community, meanwhile, welcomed some aspects of the ILEA’s preferred recommendations while cautioning the alliance not to restrict charter schools’ autonomy. The Mind Trust, an influential Indianapolis nonprofit that has helped start many local charters, applauded the alliance’s work, saying it has recognized “the need for multiple quality charter school authorizers.”

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance advanced two proposals for changing oversight of public schools for further public input on Wednesday. One would create an advisory board made up of appointees from the mayor’s office, IPS, and charters. It would collect and levy taxes, and both charters’ boards and the elected IPS board would report to this board. The other would concentrate more power in the hands of the mayor, who would appoint a new secretary of education and make appointments to a nine-member board. Both models leave open the possibility for more than one charter authorizer.

Public pressure is mounting on members of the alliance as they consider recommendations for how to address falling IPS enrollment, long-term fiscal concerns for traditional public schools, and the growth of charters in the city. After gathering more public input, the alliance will vote Dec. 17 on final recommendations to send to state lawmakers. Many Republican legislators have sought to divert money and other resources away from IPS in recent years.

Voice and a Choice plan emphasizes IPS authority

The Voice and a Choice plan supported by the pro-IPS coalition would keep authority under an elected school board, which would also gain the sole power to open and close charter schools.

IPS would continue operating buildings and transportation services for charter and district schools, and an elected school board would set policy that would hold both district and charter schools to the same standard.

The coalition’s model differs sharply from the transportation and facilities proposals advanced by the task force, which would strip the district’s authority over those services and instead move it to either an advisory board or an independent authority.

“The ILEA’s other proposed options add needless complexity and create further opportunities for wealthy, private actors to personally profit rather than address the real issues: underfunding, systemic racism, and a lack of public accountability,” said Adrea McCloud, an IPS teacher and co-chair of a campaign run by the Central Indiana DSA in support of traditional public schools.

In general, shifting control of transportation and buildings away from IPS is something pro-charter advocates have supported.

“Even with the best intentions, we can play favorites,” said Sashah Fletcher, a parent affiliated with EmpowerED Families, said at the alliance meeting on Wednesday. “When we talk about sharing assets specific to school transportation, I believe the best path is a transportation and authority that is not housed in any school system.”

The proposals the ILEA advanced represent wins for charters in other respects, although the ILEA could change them before putting them to a final vote.

The ILEA has discussed a moratorium on new public schools in the city while it undergoes structural changes, but it did not include that in the proposals it advanced this week. Charter leaders have opposed such a moratorium. They also argued against restrictions on the number of charter authorizers, and the ILEA did not move forward with such proposals.

“Eliminating independent authorizers concentrates authority in ways that increase political risk,” said Tommy Reddicks, the CEO of Paramount Schools of Excellence, a network of charters. “A ban on charter expansion denies families access to proven models.”

Mind Trust CEO Brandon Brown also cautioned the task force against concentrating too much power in a small group of officials.

“As the ILEA continues its deliberations, we encourage members to guard against creating a new overarching governance structure that could unintentionally infringe upon school autonomy,” Brown said.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance advances proposals diluting power of elected IPS school board

2025-12-04T01:49:59+00:00

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A state-mandated education task force has advanced two proposals that would both significantly dilute the power of the elected board governing Indianapolis Public Schools.

In a 7-2 vote on Wednesday, members of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance moved ahead with two potential recommendations to change how local schools are run, but did not indicate a preference for one of them.

The first model would increase the influence of the mayor and charters through a new three-way power-sharing arrangement.

The model’s proposed “collaborative compact advisory board” would consist of appointees from IPS, the mayor’s office, and charter schools. The IPS school board and charter schools’ boards would report to this advisory board, which would collect and levy property taxes and serve as a charter authorizer. The mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, however, which currently serves as a charter authorizer, could also continue in that role.

The second model would concentrate more power in the mayor’s hands by establishing an Indianapolis Education Authority consisting of a mayor-appointed secretary of education. In the version of this model presented last month, the mayor would also appoint a nine-member policy-making board. Four of those nine members would be selected from the elected IPS school board, which along with charter school boards would also report to the policy-making board.

The model would allow the Office of Education Innovation, or OEI, to remain as a charter authorizer. The Indiana Charter School Board would either be another authorizer, or would serve as an appeals board for charter schools seeking to challenge a decision made by the OEI.

Either plan would bring monumental changes to Indianapolis Public Schools and the 54 charters within district borders. The ILEA’s work is taking place against the backdrop of declining enrollment and significant long-term financial issues for IPS, while charter school enrollment in the area has grown. Tensions between traditional public and charters over funding and other resources have also escalated. And in recent years, state GOP lawmakers have sought to take power and funding away from IPS in different ways.

The Republican supermajority that approved the creation of the ILEA is also considering redrawing Indiana’s congressional map to potentially eliminate two Democratic seats statewide and dilute the electoral power of the urban core of Indianapolis.

The alliance was created by state lawmakers to recommend changing how IPS and charter schools could share resources. The ILEA’s members also agreed to advance two options for the management of IPS and charter facilities and transportation that would put power over bus services and school buildings under either a separate authority or advisory board.

The ILEA will collect public input on its three preferred models in two meetings later this month. One will be held on Dec. 10 at KIPP Legacy High School from 6 to 8 p.m., and another will be held on Dec. 15 at the Madam Walker Legacy Center from 12 to 2 p.m.

The group will pick its final recommendations to state lawmakers in a vote at a Dec. 17 meeting, although legislators could also disregard the ILEA’s preferences.

IPS superintendent critical of plans to reduce board’s power

The vote on the three models came after heated public comment Wednesday from both district and charter supporters.

While charter leaders opposed any moves to reduce the number of charter authorizers, parents supportive of IPS urged the alliance to give authority over both district and charter schools to a fully elected IPS school board.

“If charters have concerns about answering to the IPS board, they can campaign to elect members that are favorable to their kids,” said IPS parent Josiah Harris-Adam, referencing previous school board election cycles that have garnered financial support from charter-friendly organizations.

The IPS Parent Council, which supports traditional IPS schools, called on the ILEA to pause Wednesday’s vote to hear more public testimony on the options. The council also decried the 4 p.m. meeting time that they said was inconvenient for many students and families.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and IPS teacher and parent Tina Ahlgren were the two votes against the proposals to dilute the power of the current IPS board.

“The elected school board oversees the administration of transportation and facilities for 70% of public school students in our boundary, charter and district,” Johnson said. “It would seem to me that the least disruptive way to proceed would be to leverage that publicly elected board to provide service or set policy for 100% of the public schools within our boundary, charter and district, while still respecting the autonomy and flexibility that many of our charter schools enjoy today.”

But Angela Smith-Jones, who was appointed to the ILEA by Mayor Joe Hogsett, noted that the alliance must consider how state lawmakers will respond to the task force’s recommendations.

Fellow ILEA member and former Indianapolis mayor Bart Peterson agreed, and said the alliance will still be doing a lot of work to address unanswered questions. He also said the task force will take more public input before its final meeting in two weeks.

“I believe we can reach a proposal that we can be proud to put forward,” he said.

ILEA advances options for independent transportation, facilities oversight

Meanwhile, the proposals advanced by the ILEA to change oversight of transportation and facilities have some key similarities.

One option for facilities would be to create another “collaborative compact advisory board” to manage buildings. The board could set accountability and performance standards that could determine which schools receive buildings.

The other recommendation for changing facilities management would create an independent building authority that consists of facilities experts and professional staff.

The transportation options advanced by the task force are similar. One would create an advisory board that would set transportation zones. In this model, schools opting in to the service would pay for transportation services that continue to be run by IPS.

Another model would create an independent transportation authority that would collect property tax dollars and hire transportation contractors.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

How much power should the school board have? Indianapolis Local Education Alliance members respond.

2025-11-26T11:00:01+00:00

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Authority over schools in Indianapolis could change in the near future. And while some members of a state-mandated task force want to maintain an elected Indianapolis Public Schools board, others see value in having an appointed authority.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance could soon suggest a change to who’s in charge of charter and IPS schools. At the group’s meeting last week, ILEA members said changes to the local education power structure may be necessary in order to help the group address its primary assignment from state lawmakers: suggesting changes to how schools share facilities and transportation resources.

Two of the potential options unveiled by ILEA consultant Michael O’Connor at last week’s meeting would dilute the power of the elected IPS school board — and one would eliminate IPS school board elections entirely.

The four options include maintaining an elected IPS board; creating an advisory board of mayoral, IPS, and charter school appointees; creating an Indianapolis Education Authority appointed by the mayor; and replacing the elected IPS school board with mayoral appointees.

A majority of alliance members have yet to say which option they like the most. But some have shared their preferences for how specific facets of school governance should change. When it comes to charter authorizers, for example, some want fewer of them for Indianapolis.

The ILEA will meet in the first week of December to select from one of these governance models, although the alliance could decide to combine elements of certain options or choose a different model altogether. It will also select from options presented last week for how charters and district-run schools can share transportation and facilities. Alliance members could also tweak the transportation and facilities options as they decide on a final model for both services.

The ILEA will then host public input sessions on the selected transportation, facilities, and governance models before voting on the final recommendations to city and state leaders on Dec. 17. The time and location of that meeting has not yet been announced.

Below, members of the ILEA weigh in on different options for changing who oversees Indianapolis schools, including whether the IPS board should be elected or appointed and how many charter school authorizers there should be.

Tina Ahlgren, superintendent appointee

Tina Ahlgren, an IPS parent, teacher, and union member, said she hasn’t had the chance to delve further into each governance option.

But she said she is hesitant about giving control of schools to mayoral appointees, given the unique city-county arrangement commonly known as Unigov. In Indianapolis, the mayor represents a county that consists of 11 school districts. More mayoral control would give the mayor authority over just one of the 11.

Voters in IPS boundaries would be only a fraction of the voters electing a mayor, Ahlgren said.

“We’re never going to have a critical mass of voters in the IPS boundaries,” she said.

Ahlgren also said she supports having fewer charter authorizers, but that she is also listening to suggestions from charter advocates.

“What I would prefer is probably different than I think what they would prefer,” she said. “But I also have zero experience in that world.”

Barato Britt, IPS board president appointee

Barato Britt said he is exploring the options and sees value in having appointed board members. He noted that appointees could bring expertise that may not be guaranteed in elected board members.

Britt said he is not in favor of limiting charter authorization to one entity.

Mayor Joe Hogsett, chair

In a statement, a spokesperson for Hogsett did not indicate which governance model he would prefer and instead stressed his desire to get more perspectives from the public.

“Over the coming weeks, there will be more opportunities for public input on the options that were detailed last Wednesday night, including through in-person listening sessions and by submitting digital comments,” the statement said. “Mayor Hogsett will consider this feedback from families, residents, and stakeholders as he continues to evaluate which option would be the best step forward for students.”

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson made clear at last week’s meeting that she supports an elected IPS school board. She reiterated that sentiment in a video released by the district last Friday.

“Why would we remove decision-making power from leaders elected by our community, especially in a city where communities of color have fought hard to make their voices heard?” she said in the video. “Any option that eliminates elected board members risks doing exactly that.”

She said IPS should continue to own its schools’ buildings. And she opposed creating an independent transportation authority — which she said would be “disruptive, complex, and even more costly.”

Maggie Lewis, mayoral appointee

City-County Councilor Maggie Lewis did not respond to a request for comment through a spokesperson by deadline.

Tobin McClamroch, mayoral appointee

In an email, Tobin McClamroch said he prefers the Indianapolis Education Authority option.

“The best model would be an independent authority that would own and manage and deliver facilities and transportation services,” he said. “An independent authority will best incentivize participation among all public schools and thereby create economies of scale.”

Andrew Neal, superintendent appointee

Andrew Neal said he has not yet decided on his preferred model.

But he said he is in favor of an option that incorporates appointees to the board, noting that democratic representation has limits.

“Children can’t vote, undocumented families can’t vote, many low incomes families vote at disproportionately lower rates,” he said, echoing sentiments he shared at the ILEA meeting last week. “I think appointed members have an opportunity to represent some of those populations if the appointees are done well.”

He said he is in favor of one charter authorizer, with an option for charter schools to appeal that authorizer’s decision.

Bart Peterson, mayoral appointee

Former mayor Bart Peterson declined to say what his preferred outcome is but told Chalkbeat last week that he is “still in the learning mode.”

“I realize we only have a month left,” he said, “but I think we have a long way to go.”

He said he’s interested in hearing what other people have to say.

But he said he does not think the ILEA would be bound by any one option presented last week.

“They also have elements that could be mixed and matched,” he said. “The final result doesn’t have to be one of those four things in my opinion.”

Peterson said he’s not prepared to say whether there is a specific number of charter authorizers the ILEA should propose. But he highlighted his previously stated concerns about the number of charter authorizers growing too large.

Angela Smith-Jones, mayoral appointee

Angela Smith-Jones said she does not have a preferred model yet, but said she is considering what is best for students and families and also what state lawmakers would support.

She said she has also not determined whether she would be in favor of a governing body that is elected or appointed.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Officials could soon recommend changing how Indianapolis schools are run. Here are the 4 options.

2025-11-25T18:11:38+00:00

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Indianapolis schools could be on the verge of a seismic shift.

An advisory panel is weighing recommendations that would drastically alter who runs local schools. Several of the options presented at the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance’s meeting last week would dilute or eliminate the power of the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board. More broadly, they would mean big changes for district-run schools as well as charters.

While an elected seven-member board oversees district schools, charter schools have their own nonprofit boards. Indianapolis charter schools are overseen and authorized by one of three authorizers — the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, Education One at Trine University, and the Indiana Charter School Board. But state law places no limit on the number of charter authorizers, which can also include school boards.

In each of the four models floated by ILEA task forces last week, one authority would oversee both district and charter schools of all types.

The ILEA will meet in the first week of December to narrow down the options for changing school governance. The ILEA will then host public input sessions before voting on the final recommendations to city and state leaders on Dec. 17. The time and location of that meeting has not yet been announced.

Alliance members could change or combine each one as they settle on a final governance model, ILEA consultant Michael O’Connor told Chalkbeat. Members could decide to add more charter authorizers to certain models, for instance.

Each model would also likely have an appeals process for charter schools that seek to open or challenge a decision made by the charter authorizer, O’Connor said.

Separately, the ILEA will also consider suggestions for changing how district schools and charters share transportation resources and facilities.

Of the 54 charters within IPS borders that the ILEA is studying, 25 are part of the IPS Innovation Network of autonomous schools. Fifteen of the Innovation Network charter schools operate in IPS buildings, 12 of them use IPS transportation, and 11 do both. Another 29 charters are independent.

Here is an overview of each of the four governance models the ILEA could consider.

Maintain IPS as an elected board, add charter oversight

In this option, the IPS board would oversee both district and charter schools. While independent and Innovation charters would maintain their own individual school boards, all charters within IPS borders would report up to the school board.

Only the IPS board would have the power to authorize charter schools in district boundaries. Charter schools whose applications are denied by the IPS board — or those that have their charters revoked or not renewed — could appeal to the Office of Education Innovation.

The IPS school board would have the power to levy and collect property taxes. It would also set rules for all schools regarding transportation access and which schools would have access to buildings.

Create an appointed advisory board

Another option would create a “collaborative compact advisory board” to oversee district and charter schools. The board would have the power to levy and collect property taxes for schools, and also serve as the charter authorizer. The Office of Education Innovation could also serve as a second authorizer.

The board would consist of appointees from IPS, the mayor, and charter schools, and would set policy. Exact details on appointees — whether IPS appointees would be chosen by the school board or superintendent or would be school board members themselves, for example — could be determined by state lawmakers. The IPS and charter school boards would report up to the advisory board.

Create an Indianapolis Education Authority

The third option would create an Indianapolis Education Authority overseen by a nine-member policymaking board and led by a secretary of education appointed by the mayor.

The board would be appointed by the mayor, with four members selected from the seven-member elected IPS board. This policymaking board would work with the secretary of education within the authority, which would serve as charter authorizer.

The authority would hire building and transportation staff.

IPS and charter school boards would report to the policymaking board, which would levy and receive tax dollars.

Replace an elected IPS board with an appointed one

Out of all four options, this one would give the mayor the most control over schools. The mayor would appoint all members of the IPS school board, which would oversee district schools. The mayor’s Office of Education Innovation would serve as charter authorizer, while the Indiana Charter School Board would serve as an appealing body for charter schools. Both independent and Innovation charter school boards would report to the IPS school board.

The board would levy and receive property taxes and would set policy on transportation and facilities.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

The ILEA is eyeing changes to who runs Indianapolis schools. Education groups are speaking up.

2025-11-21T22:42:16+00:00

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The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is considering a variety of governance options that would significantly dilute the power of the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board — potential changes that some community groups have rallied against.

Changing who oversees schools could be a key component to solving how district and charter schools could better share transportation and building resources. An authority governing both charter and district schools could set universal policy on transportation, discipline, students with disabilities, school accountability, and school closures.

The four options unveiled at Wednesday’s ILEA meeting differ when it comes to how much they would change the way schools are currently run. In addition to the elected board that runs Indianapolis Public Schools, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, Education One at Trine University, and the Indiana Charter School Board authorize charter schools.

The ILEA, which state lawmakers established earlier this year, does not have the power to make policy but can make recommendations to state and local officials. The group is expected to recommend one of the four options during the week of Dec. 1, although it’s also possible it could combine two or more of the options.

While the IPS school board hasn’t issued an opinion on the options, several organizations representing teachers and parents have called for an elected board to oversee both charter and district schools. Groups that support charter schools have not coalesced around support for a particular option.

The first option would keep an elected IPS school board, which would serve as the charter authorizer responsible for making policies for building usage and transportation. District and charter schools would report up to the board, and charter schools whose applications were denied could appeal to the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

The second option would create a “collaborative compact advisory board” consisting of appointees from the mayor, charter schools, and the IPS school board. While IPS and charter schools would retain their individual school boards, both sectors would report to the advisory board, which would serve as charter authorizer and set policy.

A third model would create an Indianapolis Education Authority, led by a secretary of education appointed by the mayor. Underneath the secretary of education would be a nine-member policymaking board — also appointed by the mayor — that would serve as the charter authorizer. The mayor would select four of these members from the current seven-member elected IPS board.

A fourth option would replace the elected IPS board with members appointed by the mayor. This appointed board would serve as the charter authorizer, although appeals could be sent to the Indianapolis Charter School Board.

Several groups supportive of both district and charter schools have previously urged the ILEA to consider various options for governance. Here are the reactions to the options unveiled Wednesday from a few major community groups, in alphabetical order:

Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America

In a statement, the Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America — which has run a “Fully Funded, Fully Public” campaign to support traditional IPS schools — did not select any of the four options as the best choice.

Instead, it called for a fully elected school board to serve as charter authorizer without the opportunity for denied charter schools to appeal to the OEI. The school board would operate facilities and transportation for all school types.

“Under this plan, charter students and parents will finally have an accountable board that represents them democratically without sacrificing their school choice,” the group said. “Similarly, IPS and innovation school parents will have the flexibility to exercise school choice without exiting their stable public school system.

Indianapolis Education Association

In a statement, the Indianapolis Education Association said the first option allowing IPS to serve as the charter authorizer is the best.

“This ensures that governance is responsible to the people that they serve and provides a clear structure for community engagement when the time for new programming in specific parts of the city is necessary,” the teacher’s union said. “IEA feels that any attempt to outnumber an elected body that serves IPS is harmful to the community and a board with more appointees than elected officials sends a message that the community can’t be trusted with our schools.”

IPS Parent Council

Kristen Phair of the IPS Parent Council, a roughly 400-member parent organization that formed to support IPS during the last legislative session, said the only option her group would support is the one in which IPS is the sole charter authorizer.

“We just don’t want to see local control diluted by appointees,” she said.

The council circulated an online letter signed by over 700 IPS parents this week that suggested that IPS become the sole authorizer of all charter schools within district boundaries.

IPS school board

School board president Angelia Moore said the board hasn’t had time yet to meet in executive session to discuss the governance options.

She said she is focused on a lawsuit by Attorney General Todd Rokita alleging that IPS hindered federal authorities in the deportation of a man whose son was an IPS student. The board is seeking the public’s support as it crafts a response to the lawsuit.

The Mind Trust

In a statement, the leader of the nonprofit Mind Trust that has helped launch many charter schools in Indianapolis did not give an opinion on overall governance.

“We are pleased to see discussion of an independent facilities and transportation authority, which should exist without consolidating system-level governance,” said CEO Brandon Brown.

Brown also emphasized two separate letters that charter school leaders sent to the ILEA this week.

In one, seven leaders of independent charter schools opposed limiting charter authorization to one authorizer. In the other, nine leaders of charters in the IPS Innovation Network suggested the mayor’s office and the Indiana Charter School Board serve as the only authorizers within IPS borders.

“Out of respect for the ILEA’s work, we will withhold further judgment until the final recommendations are released,” Brown said.

RISE Indy

RISE Indy, a nonprofit with ties to school choice advocates that has supported both traditional public and charter schools, did not voice explicit support for one of the four options.

Instead, the group said it supports an elected board that oversees academics and an appointed board that oversees facilities and transportation.

“An elected board allows community voice and representation to remain at the forefront of education decisions while an appointed board of local experts in facilities and transportation can allow every kid to have the resources and services they need to succeed, no matter the school model,” the group said.

Stand for Children Indiana

Stand for Children Indiana, which organizes parents who have pushed IPS to expand high-performing charter schools, said in a statement that it is in the process of sharing the details of the presentation with its advocates.

The group reiterated its call for a better transportation system and a school performance framework that holds schools of all types accountable to high standards.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance hears options for overhauling schools, limiting school board power

2025-11-20T04:47:32+00:00

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Members of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance are grappling with who should govern Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools — and it remains uncertain how drastic an overhaul they will recommend as they work toward creating a more unified system.

The group heard a range of ideas for new ways of overseeing schools on Wednesday night, including the creation of a mayor-controlled oversight board for district and charter schools.

Members also heard potential solutions for how to overhaul the buildings and transportation infrastructure so IPS and charter schools receive equal resources.

The list of solutions presented by task forces within the group could guide its final recommendations, which would then be sent to state lawmakers as well as city and district leaders next month. Those could lead to sweeping changes for the landscape of Indianapolis Public Schools as well as charter schools in the area.

The potential solutions come as community leaders and groups continue pressing the ILEA for a flurry of changes. Some parents are pushing to safeguard traditional public schools, while others want charter schools to receive what they believe are proper resources. Roughly 100 people signed up for public comment on Wednesday.

The alliance is adding a meeting the first week of December to vote to narrow its support to one of several solutions presented for each transportation, building, and governance topic. The date is yet to be determined. The group will then host listening sessions throughout the city for further public input on the selected models, ILEA consultant Michael O’Connor said at Wednesday’s meeting.

The ILEA will then vote on its final recommendations at a Dec. 17 meeting at 6 p.m. at a location to be announced.

Advisory board or independent authority could lead transportation

The cost of transportation for district and charter students depends on the amount of school choice.

The first transportation option would feature the creation of a “collaborative compact advisory board.” The board would determine levels of service, transportation zones, walk zones, and other logistics for schools that participate in the compact. Participating schools would pay a fee for the service, which IPS would run.

The second option would create an independent transportation authority, which would directly receive property tax dollars for transportation. The authority would make logistical decisions around zoning and would provide the service.

Some ILEA members on the transportation task force believe that schools should be required to offer transportation, O’Connor said at the meeting. But others found that it would be hard to support mandatory participation without an independent transportation authority.

Members Tobin McClamroch and city-county councilor Maggie Lewis said they supported the second option of an independent authority over the first.

“The most important word is independent — it’s an independent building authority," McClamroch said, noting that the first option may be a continuation of the status quo in which IPS and charter schools each worry about their own entities.

But Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said many charters choose to participate in a service offered by IPS today, and said she does not believe an independent authority is the solution.

She added that all schools should be required to offer transportation, an opinion also offered by member Angela Smith-Jones.

“If you receive property tax dollars and you don’t want to participate, that could be your choice, and then you do not receive those funds,” Johnson said.

Building solutions depend heavily on who governs schools

The possible solutions around school buildings are overshadowed by larger questions around governance, including who should set any accountability standards that could determine which schools receive existing buildings and who should have the power to open or close charter schools.

One option would include the creation of another “collaborative compact advisory board” with statutorily binding policies that determine which schools to open and close. Accountability and performance standards would be set as policy by voting members of the compact. Schools would pay a fee for facility services.

Another option includes the creation of an independent building authority staffed by facility experts that would receive the property tax dollars meant for facility costs. The authority would make decisions on bids for public building projects.

A third option would designate IPS as the facilities provider. Property tax dollars for buildings would go to schools, which would then pay a fee for the use and maintenance of the buildings.

A fourth option — which O’Connor said was perhaps the least supported by task force members — would be for the Indianapolis-Marion County Building Authority to assume ownership and operations of existing school buildings. The authority would receive property tax revenue directly.

Governance options range from IPS as authorizer to appointed school board

O’Connor also presented four potential governance options.

In one, IPS would serve as the charter authorizer. Schools denied a charter could appeal to the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, which is the current authorizer for a majority of charter schools in IPS boundaries.

Another model creates an advisory board of members appointed by IPS, the mayor, and charter schools. Both charter and district schools would report to this board, which would serve as a charter authorizer and would make policies to determine which schools to open and close.

A third model creates an Indianapolis Education Authority featuring a secretary of education under the mayor. Both district and charter schools would report to a board of five mayoral appointees and four elected IPS school board members, which would set policy on school accountability, transportation, and closures.

A fourth option would replace the elected IPS board with a board appointed by the mayor. The Office of Education Innovation would continue authorizing independent and innovation charter schools, with appeals sent to the Indiana Charter School Board.

Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated to correct the charter authorizing and appeals authority in the fourth governance model.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS board members float shrinking district’s boundaries, but getting buy-in could be tricky

2025-11-14T20:58:51+00:00

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Shrinking Indianapolis Public Schools down to the boundaries of Center Township would be a politically challenging feat requiring the consent of at least seven neighboring township school districts to adopt a change affecting over 10,000 students.

IPS school board members have floated the idea as a potential solution to budget woes as the district grapples with a loss of students and a state law requiring more property tax dollars to go to charter schools instead of IPS. The solution surfaced just one month before the state-mandated Indianapolis Local Education Alliance submits recommendations to state lawmakers on how IPS and charters can share transportation and building resources.

If done today, reducing IPS boundaries to only include Center Township — bordered by 38th Street to the north, Emerson Avenue to the east, Troy Avenue to the south, and Belmont Avenue to the west — would remove 47 district and charter schools from IPS borders. It would also shrink the area for the district to draw property tax funds from. District borders currently include most of Center Township at the heart of Marion County, but also reach into seven surrounding townships.

Board members have stressed that the move is not something they would consider without seeking community input. But IPS parents have already expressed concerns, decrying the instability it would bring to an already unstable district that recently closed schools and reorganized grade levels as a part of a right-sizing attempt that began in 2023.

The move would likely require IPS to follow a detailed process outlined in state law mandating buy-in from multiple school districts.

There is a host of other factors to consider, including what state lawmakers might think, said Philip Downs of the Franks School of Education at Trine University.

“The other side of this coin is you, right now, have a legislature who is fine just running roughshod over what the existing codes are and is willing to pass new codes to make things happen quickly,” Downs said.

Changing school district boundaries: What state law says

Reducing IPS to Center Township could mean that surrounding townships annex the parts of IPS that extend into the boundaries of five surrounding townships.

Those areas currently encompass 22 district schools and eight charter schools in the district’s Innovation Network, which collectively enrolled roughly 11,700 students last year, according to state enrollment records. Six of those charters use district buildings.

State law governing IPS has an annexation provision that would require the adoption of a resolution by both the district losing land and the district gaining land. That resolution could allow for students attending school in the annexed area to continue attending school in the district that is losing land.

But voters living within the district set to lose land could object in court by filing a remonstrance — a type of formal opposition.

State law requires the annexing district to assume the obligation for buildings located in the territory it acquires.

Other logistics would have to be ironed out — including what would happen to those charter schools located in IPS buildings as part of their Innovation Network contracts with the district.

Although surrounding township districts could receive more property taxes by acquiring more land, Downs said that township leaders may need to consider the cost of maintaining any acquired buildings.

“The big question is going to be: Is the ground they’re getting from IPS going to help them or hurt them even further?” Downs said, noting that it would likely take years to get this kind of solution sorted out.

Would township districts want IPS land and schools?

It’s unclear whether impacted township districts would be interested in taking IPS territory.

Seven townships — Lawrence, Wayne, Washington, Warren, Pike, Decatur, and Perry — have land that is within IPS boundaries.

In a statement, a Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township spokesperson said the district “has not been part of any conversation, committee work, or formal discussion regarding this matter.”

“Additionally, we have not received any formal proposal from Indianapolis Public Schools on the redrawing of district boundaries,” spokesperson Dana Altmeyer said in an email. “Our focus remains on serving the students and families of Lawrence Township.”

The remaining townships did not immediately respond to a request for comment by deadline.

What could happen next for IPS boundaries?

IPS board member Ashley Thomas said that she personally does not believe shrinking the district’s boundaries would solve its challenges, and does not think the board would push for it. But she stressed that the board values community input on the option, and would want to hear from people who do think it is a good solution.

“Everybody’s got different opinions,” she said. “It’s important for us as a board to have these conversations and find the alignment.”

The IPS school board meets for its regular action session on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at 120 E. Walnut St. The ILEA’s next meeting is on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. at a location to be determined..

Any agreement between IPS and other districts could ultimately be undone by state lawmakers, who often craft legislation specifically about Indianapolis.

“When it comes to Marion County,” Downs said, “I never underestimate the General Assembly’s desire to want to dip their fingers into it.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS school board approves teacher contract with minimum salary increase of $1,510

2025-11-14T00:11:02+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board approved a new two-year teacher contract through 2027 that provides a minimum raise of $1,510 for this school year and $1,010 in the next.

The vote on Thursday covers employees represented by the Indianapolis Education Association, which includes teachers, nurses, psychologists, media specialists, and speech and language pathologists.

Educators are only eligible for raises if they receive an evaluation of “highly effective” or “effective,” the two highest ratings. Raises are based on years of experience, academic specialty, and evaluation rating.

The raises come as IPS faces an uncertain future and an impending fiscal cliff. A voter-approved tax increase that residents passed in a 2018 operating referendum will expire next year. The district will also begin sharing more property tax revenues with charter schools in the coming years due to a law passed earlier this year.

The district previously said in a statement that the contract will help support IPS students as it plans to campaign for another operating referendum that would support its cash balance at the end of 2026-27 and beyond. The district could float another operating referendum to voters in 2026.

Tina Ahlgren of the Indianapolis Education Association said she was proud of the agreement that the union was able to build by working collaboratively with the district. Although increases were smaller than in previous years, she said that is to be expected, based on the fiscal reality for the state’s public schools.

“Most districts across the state are feeling their own financial stress and have responded by offering minimal increases or in some cases no increase at all,” she said. “IPS has made a concerted effort to strategically plan for continued paid salary increases, and we see that in this contract.”

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson also stressed the positive relationship between the district and the IEA.

“We very much appreciate the thought partnership, strategic partnership, and leadership of our partners in the IEA,” she said.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Mayoral control over Indianapolis schools could untangle big knots — or create new headaches

2025-11-13T12:00:00+00:00

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Should the mayor hold more power over Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools?

Control over public education in the city is fractured now. An elected board governs Indianapolis Public Schools, where enrollment has been falling and the financial outlook is grim. Oversight of the city’s 50-plus charter schools is spread across multiple authorizers, including the mayor’s office, resulting in a patchwork of accountability. And as school choice has expanded, tensions over money and political power have been rising too.

All that makes the role of the mayor a notable one that could be addressed by the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, which has been tasked by lawmakers with recommending systemic changes for IPS and charters.

The state-mandated group must submit recommendations by the end of 2025 on two narrow issues – changing transportation and building use. But it could also make suggestions on other topics like calling for some enhanced form of mayoral control, which would dramatically reshape the hierarchy running schools.

Some groups support this change, which would follow in the mold ofNew York City, where the mayor appoints the schools chancellor, and Washington, D.C., where the mayor appoints the schools chancellor and nominates members of the charter school board.

In its recommendations to the ILEA, Stand for Children Indiana, a nonprofit that mobilizes parents who support school choice, said that school board members appointed by the mayor could bring “experience as educators, or understanding facilities management or accountability systems — so they can add to the elected board’s experience.”

Yet the city-county structure of Indianapolis would create unique challenges. The mayor, a charter authorizer who governs a county featuring 11 school districts, would have sweeping influence over just one.

And consolidating power under one elected office could tie control of schools to the election of just one official every four years who oversees much more than just education.

This month, New York City voters elected a new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, intent on ending mayoral control. And in Indianapolis, some potential Democratic candidates for the 2027 mayoral election support elected school boards and are skeptical of charter schools and support limiting charter school authorizing.

Research into mayoral control over schools has found mixed results when it comes to academic performance and other factors.

A spokesperson for Mayor Joe Hogsett declined to share his thoughts on mayoral control, saying it would be unfair to the “ongoing and important work” of the ILEA. Hogsett is the ILEA’s chairperson.

An executive-driven school system can streamline governance under someone the public clearly recognizes as in charge, said Kenneth Wong, a professor emeritus of education policy at Brown University who has studied mayoral control for over 20 years. Given that IPS is the largest district in Marion County, he said, there could be a case for having mayoral control exclusively over one district facing a “dramatic educational crisis.”

“One could make the argument that because of the complexity and the amount of money involved in IPS, that needs coherence and accountability,” he said in an interview.

But some school board members, parents, and community members have called strongly for IPS to maintain a fully elected school board. They view the idea of having one person pick people to oversee the district as a blow to transparency and democratic control.

“Choosing our own representation is reflective of the community. Appointments would be a step backwards,” said Samantha Douglas, a Far Eastside resident, during a district-hosted town hall earlier this month. “We never hear from folks who are appointed.”

Unigov could complicate Indianapolis school governance changes

Mayoral control doesn’t mean the mayor runs schools like a superintendent. And it isn’t necessarily an all-or-nothing proposition.

A school board partially elected and partially appointed by the mayor could control IPS schools. The mayor’s office could serve as the sole charter authorizer — or as one of a maximum of two, as some groups have suggested. Stand for Children has also suggested a hybrid appointed and elected IPS board that would also act as the sole charter authorizer.

But the 1970 state legislation known as Unigov complicates matters.

Unigov consolidated nearly all city and county services for Indianapolis and Marion County. But school districts were not part of the merger and continued to operate independently.

Today, the mayor represents the city of Indianapolis and a county with 11 school districts: IPS, eight township school districts, and the school districts for Beech Grove and Speedway, two municipalities within the county with their own mayors that were excluded from Unigov consolidation.

Under mayoral control, the mayor would oversee only one out of the 11 school districts. But voters in other school districts — the majority of Marion County — would still cast votes for a mayor.

Through the Office of Education Innovation, the mayor’s office also already authorizes most charters within IPS borders.

In his 2007 book “The Education Mayor,” Wong found that mayor-controlled systems performed better academically than those without mayoral control — particularly in elementary school English language arts.

“While the data is dated, the basic premise remains relevant – mayors, when given accountability, will connect public schools to quality of life improvement,” Wong said in an email. “Mayors tend to focus resources to address the achievement gap.”

But he said one downside is the sentiment that community voices are not heard when mayors control schools.

Chicago highlights arguments from both supporters and detractors of mayoral control.

Mayoral control across three administrations from 1995 to 2020 coincided with increased academic performance in Chicago. Yet decisions to close schools also led to a public uproar and galvanized the teacher’s union to push for state legislation that would end it.

And in 2023, voters there picked an opponent of mayoral control when they elected former teacher and union organizer Brandon Johnson as mayor. Chicago began phasing out mayoral control this year, and it will end in 2027 when the board will be fully elected.

Several potential candidates skeptical of mayoral control

Mayoral control gained steam in the 1990s and garnered support from Democrats supportive of education reforms like charter schools. But it has drawn criticism from teachers unions and progressive groups.

If Hogsett, a Democrat supportive of charter schools, runs for reelection but loses to a candidate critical of charter schools’ growth, that could disrupt the smooth relationship the charter sector has enjoyed with both Republican and Democratic administrations.

The Mind Trust, an influential local nonprofit that has helped grow the city’s charter sector, called for an IPS board appointed by the mayor and city councilors in 2011. Today, though, it does not have a public stance on who should govern schools.

“We continue to think that that is a worthy conversation,” CEO Brandon Brown said of mayoral control. “We also think it’s one of many questions that need to be answered over the next few months, and we’ve not taken a formal position on it.”

Given the support that charter schools have from local Democrats and statehouse Republicans, Brown said, he does not see future administrations posing a significant risk to charter schools.

Of course, it’s not clear whether state lawmakers would move forward with expanding mayoral control in time to affect the 2026 school board elections or the 2027 mayoral election, even if they are interested.

Other potential candidates have differing views.

Democratic state senators Andrea Hunley and Fady Qaddoura — who are rumored to be mayoral candidates in 2027 but told Chalkbeat they have not yet decided whether to run — said they support an elected school board. Both are skeptical of charter schools and support restricting the number of charter authorizers.

Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears, who’s also weighing a 2027 run, told Chalkbeat that the mayor could play a helpful role in setting an accountability standard for all schools.

“I’m certainly more partial to an elected board,” he said. “But I also think there’s room for what role mayor appointees can [do].”

Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson, who objected to the opening of a charter school in Pike Township and confirmed she plans to run, said she favors elections instead of mayoral control.

“It just seems like it would be a lot of responsibility for mayor, with everything else that we have to contend with within our day-to-day duties as mayor of this city,” she said.

Former IPS school board member Will Pritchard, a charter school supporter who is also considering a run, said mayoral control might be feasible — if the county only had one school district.

“To have the mayor control one district but not the other 10 does not make sense,” he said. “And to have a large portion of the city voting for the mayor while a smaller portion of the city has their school district controlled by the mayor presents an awkward division.”

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Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Proposed IPS teachers contract would provide smaller raises amid shaky financial outlook

2025-11-11T18:30:52+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools teachers would receive smaller increases than in the past two years under a proposed two-year contract up for a vote on Thursday.

The 2025-27 contract for teachers, media specialists, social workers, counselors, psychologists, nurses, and speech and language pathologists offers a minimum salary increase of $1,510 in year one and $1,010 in year two, while raising the minimum salary to $54,800 in 2025-26 and $55,600 in 2026-27.

The raises come at an increasingly precarious time for IPS, which faces a funding cliff. The district is projected to end 2026 with an estimated $44 million deficit, according to cash flow projections from September.

The district relies on additional property taxes through an operating referendum to help fund salaries that will expire next year. A state-mandated group is also exploring how the district and charter schools could pool transportation and facility resources. And lawmakers earlier this year mandated the district to share more property tax revenues with charter schools while also passing property tax cuts. Those changes are estimated to cost the district roughly $5 million in 2026 and about another $4 million in 2027.

“It would have been unrealistic to expect IPS to provide the exact same compensation amounts as previous years,” said Tina Ahlgren, bargaining chair for the district teachers union, the Indianapolis Education Association, noting the district’s reduced enrollment and shifts in funding models. Ahlgren estimated about 1,500 employees are in the bargaining unit.

In a statement, the district said the contract will help IPS support students as it plans to campaign for another operating referendum, which will support its cash balance at the end of 2026-27 and beyond.

“Our partners in the Indianapolis Education Association understand our fiscal realities and worked collaboratively on this tentative agreement to reach what we all believe to be a fair and reasonable contract,” the district said.

Here are a few major takeaways from the proposed 2025-27 contract.

Teachers with new literacy endorsement would get raise

Raises are based on a teacher’s years of experience, academic specialty, and whether or not they received the two highest ratings, “highly effective” or “effective,” on their evaluations.

Although lawmakers recently repealed a state law forbidding raises for teachers rated as “ineffective” or “improvement necessary,” the proposed contract prohibits salary increases for those rated in those lower-performing categories.

All teachers who taught in IPS last year would receive annual increases. Teachers would also receive different raises based on whether they have completed one to seven years or eight or more years.

The district would continue to give additional raises for employees who served in hard-to-fill positions in the prior school year. Those include special education teachers, school psychologists, social workers, and certain STEM, career-technical, and dual-credit course educators.

The proposed contract also includes a new $150 salary increase for teachers who receive the literacy endorsement mandated for some educators by the state in 2024.

Teachers who perform additional roles, such as certain instructional or leadership roles, would receive stipends dictated through a four-tier system that maxes out at an additional $7,000 annually.

The contract would also maintain a program launched as a pilot in 2023 that provides additional pay for teachers who cover for absent colleagues.

Teachers would receive an extra $25 per hour if they lose their preparation periods to cover for a class due to the absence of another teacher. They would also receive the extra hourly rate if a principal places at least 30% of students from another class into their classrooms “due to the temporary absence of another teacher.”

Ahlgren said the program was popular with teachers during the previous contract cycle, with 341 participating in 2023-24 and 364 in 2024-25.

Could a retirement plan change bring teachers back?

Annual insurance premiums would also increase by about 8% under the contract, according to the teachers union.

The new contract would also change the vesting schedule for 403(b) retirement plans, reflecting an option the district said was already part of the retirement plan but not in the contract.

Rather than waiting five years to become fully vested, the contract offers a partial vesting schedule starting at 20% after one year of service. Employees would be 100% vested in the plan after five years.

Ahlgren said the change could recruit teachers who have left IPS and wish to return.

“There are a good number of folks who think the grass is greener and leave, and then are contemplating coming back,” she said. “They’ll weigh all the pieces, and it’s one more thing that could tilt the scale back in our favor to come back.”

The school board will vote on whether to ratify the contract on Thursday at 6 p.m. at 120 E. Walnut St.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS and charters are preparing for big changes. A new school rating system could be one of them.

2025-11-10T12:00:00+00:00

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It’s been seven years since Indianapolis schools, and schools around the state, have received a rating for school performance.

In that time, dozens of charters have closed, opened, or taken control of IPS schools. Indianapolis Public Schools, where enrollment is declining, has also closed several schools.

Now, the state has created the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to rethink the Indianapolis school landscape. And while supporters of charters and IPS schools want different things from the ILEA, one idea has garnered support from both sides: the need for a universal accountability system.

That system could highlight schools in need of intervention, advocates say, and provide important information to parents as they select schools for their children. And in a school landscape that had thousands more seats than students last school year, it could also influence which schools close or merge.

What that rating system would look like — and whether it would simply mirror the state’s new A-F school ratings system to be finalized in December — is unclear. But it could also help clarify which schools are better serving students, during a period when finger-pointing between advocates of traditional public schools and charters has sometimes gotten ugly. A universal rating system could put all schools on the same playing field.

If the ILEA recommends creating such a system to the state legislature, there will be big questions about what it should look like. How should it account for demographics? What should it measure?

The ILEA is due to share its recommendations on how charters and IPS can share transportation and building resources to lawmakers by the end of December. But the law that established the group also allows it to make recommendations on “uniform school performance frameworks” — which member Barato Britt said the group is considering.

“There is at least mutual agreement that trying to get to a framework that does evaluate and hold all of our public schools to similar levels of accountability for performance is, I think, a north star,” he said.

Controlling for school demographics in ratings is complex

Designing a universal accountability system would be a tall order.

There would be thorny questions of who would choose the metrics, and whether those metrics would culminate in a single school rating. There would also be questions about whether those ratings would lead to consequences, like closure recommendations, and what power the district or charter authorizers would be giving up in the process.

One overarching challenge would be how to design a system that fairly controls for differences in demographics and the challenges faced by each school.

Consider two Indianapolis charter schools.

At Liberty Grove at Elder Diggs School 42, all students qualified for free or reduced-price meals, one measure of family income, according to state enrollment records from last school year. About 16% were English language learners. Just 4.5% of its students reached proficiency in both English and math on the state’s ILEARN exam last year.

Two miles away at Herron Prep, roughly 36% receive free or reduced-price meals. Just 5% of students were English language learners. Its combined proficiency rate: roughly 39%.

So what is a fair way to rate these schools that accounts for their different demographics without downplaying academic results?

There are at least three ways that a school rating model can account for those differences, said Chris Domaleski, executive director of the Center for Assessment, which provides support for districts on assessment and accountability.

One is by measuring growth on test scores rather than total proficiency. This can measure a school based on how well its students are progressing year over year, rather than judging a school that historically lags behind its peers based on overall proficiency.

Another strategy is to factor in the performance of student subgroups, he said, such as those from low-income backgrounds. That could also measure how well schools are doing in serving certain populations, rather than judging the school’s performance as a whole.

Finally, a framework can also look at measure improvements over time in non-academic areas, such as chronic absenteeism.

Any rating system should focus on the success of each student subgroup to ensure schools are serving all types of students, said Jasmin Shaheed-Young, the CEO of RISE Indy, a nonprofit with ties to school choice advocates that works in district and charter schools. In the same vein, it should also take into account suspension and expulsion rates, she said.

But a new framework should not immediately dictate which schools would close, she said.

“Before we go directly to closure, we want to stop to figure out intervention, and we also want partnership,” she said. “We want all schools to be able to work together to ultimately serve best practices and consolidate ideas.”

For Morrise Harbour, founder of the Liberty Grove charter school, year-over-year improvement on a test is a more important metric on his school’s success, rather than raw scores alone.

“Comparing yourself to yourself is probably the best — one of the more efficient — ways to really see how effective a school is,” he said.

To him, other important metrics include attendance rate and the retention of students and staff. But what’s less clear to him is how important each of these factors might be in determining a final school rating.

“What weighs more in this report card as opposed to others?” he said. “Does attendance weigh more than proficiency, or does growth weigh more than proficiency?”

Could Indianapolis schools adopt a state rating system?

The state’s previous school ratings measured the number of students passing state assessments, year-over-year growth on state tests, graduation rates, and the number of students taking college-level courses.

The new state school rating system, which the State Board of Education will finalize in December, could be more comprehensive. It would give schools points for elementary school students who are not proficient on a state exam but are approaching proficiency, for example. It would grant extra points for students who meet attendance targets, or for English language learners who are reaching language proficiency.

In high school, the proposed new system would also give extra points for students who complete college and career coursework or 150 hours of work-based learning.

But Shaheed-Young said Indianapolis should have its own framework that considers student subgroup performance, given the diversity of student enrollment in IPS and charters.

Britt, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance member, said he believes the community can agree on a common set of data points that will provide “as much of an apples-to-apples comparison as possible.”

“I just have to believe there is a way we can evaluate schools equitably, meaningfully, and in a way that will ... further inform parents in their decision-making,” he said.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana attorney general’s lawsuit alleges Indianapolis Public Schools hindered ICE

2025-11-06T21:54:22+00:00

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Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sued Indianapolis Public Schools over its policies on federal immigration enforcement, claiming the district thwarted an attempt in January to deport an IPS student’s father who wanted to leave the country with his son.

The lawsuit filed in Marion Superior Court on Thursday alleges that unlawful district policies limiting information and access to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement prevented the deportation of a “Honduran national” who agreed to leave the country under a voluntary deportation order.

An IPS student, the son of the Honduran national, went to school the morning of Jan. 8 in “apparent disregard of his father’s wish that they depart the country together,” the complaint states. ICE later contacted the district to “help the father take custody of his son” ahead of his deportation flight scheduled for that afternoon.

“IPS took the position that it would not release the child to an ICE officer unless the officer had a judicial warrant or other court order,” the lawsuit states. “ICE responded that it simply was asking that the son be released to the father so that they could depart the country as the father had agreed to do and that such action did not require a court order.”

It’s unclear whether the father and son left the country. In a statement, an ICE spokesperson said the agency could not provide the identity of the man referenced in the Indianapolis lawsuit due to privacy concerns.

The lawsuit challenges district directives to employees that restrict immigration enforcement officials from student information and physical access to school grounds. The lawsuit claims such policies violate state law, which prohibits governmental entities from restricting enforcement of immigration laws.

The legal action occurs as districts nationwide — some of which adopted policies designed to protect undocumented students during the first Trump administration — once again grapple with potential immigration enforcement on school grounds.

In January, the second Trump administration rescinded a Biden-era policy that classified schools as “sensitive” locations where enforcement should only occur under an imminent public threat.

The lawsuit follows a warning from Rokita in February in which he threatened legal action if IPS did not comply with immigration authorities. At the time, IPS said it was committed to fostering a safe, welcoming environment for all students and would comply with all state, local, and federal laws.

“Sanctuary policies are bad in any context, but they are especially troubling in our schools,” Rokita said in a statement Thursday announcing the lawsuit. “Schools across the country are vulnerable to infiltration by criminal illegal aliens—it’s happened in many other states—and it is essential that ICE be able to take action when that occurs to help keep our kids safe.”

In a statement, the IPS board said it is committed to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all students and will continue to uphold the law.

“While IPS takes all legal obligations seriously, we respectfully hope that all concerned parties will recognize the heavy burden that silly litigation and political posturing places on students, families, and taxpayers,” the board said. “Every dollar spent on defensive legal posture is a dollar not spent on instructional support, teacher development, student services, or enrichment. In this case, Mr. Rokita prefers those dollars go to fight gratuitous political battles, as has too often been the case.”

In a Thursday statement, the Indiana State Teachers Association also indicated opposition to Rokita’s lawsuit.

“Turning schools into extensions of immigration enforcement threatens that trust and undermines the learning environment every student deserves,” the union said.

Lawsuit: School district policies hinder immigration enforcement

The lawsuit takes particular issue with a resolution that the IPS school board passed in 2017 reminding employees not to assist immigration enforcement efforts “unless legally required and authorized to do so by the Superintendent.”

The lawsuit also claims that this year the district restricted staff from sharing information regarding a student’s immigration status with federal authorities. Last January, IPS said it would not let ICE enter schools without warrants.

The federal Families and Educational Rights Privacy Act, known as FERPA, restricts the ability of schools to provide student information to outside parties.

But Rokita has previously told the district that FERPA does permit the disclosure of some information, such as directory information, that could be related to a student’s immigration status. And school officials could still give consent for law enforcement to enter school grounds without violating the Fourth Amendment, his office has argued.

The district has also previously stated on a section of its website that it will not allow ICE officers onto school grounds without a judicial warrant. That section of the IPS website is still active, but no longer mentions the need for a warrant.

Rokita’s office alleges these policies violate state law. The complaint also states that school staff connected the student with a private immigration attorney.

The complaint does not say whether the IPS student was a U.S. citizen or had documentation of his immigration status. But it argues that ICE does not need a judicial warrant to make an arrest.

“Unquestionably, schools are locations that may be exploited and infiltrated by criminal illegal aliens,” the lawsuit states. “When that occurs, it is critical for public safety that ICE have the full cooperation of local school officials in ICE’s efforts to locate and arrest such aliens.”

The school board said in its statement that it has been collaborating with Rokita’s office to review relevant policies, but that Rokita permitted IPS only five business days to respond to his review.

The board said “these important issues deserve thoughtful, deliberative weighing of important legal rights — not impulsive, superficial efforts for political gain.”

“Additionally, IPS is deeply offended that the Indiana Attorney General persists in willfully dehumanizing our children and their families by labeling them as ‘aliens,’” the board said.

Undocumented students have a right to a public education under the Supreme Court’s 1982 ruling in Plyler v. Doe. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center has argued that the Fourth Amendment protects students from unreasonable search and seizure, and therefore restricts ICE from entering the private areas of school grounds without a judicial warrant.

In January, Gov. Mike Braun reiterated support for federal law enforcement, issuing an executive order highlighting the state’s support for Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts.

This story has been updated to include comments from the Indianapolis Public Schools board and ICE.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS to host 3 ‘community conversations’ on the future of Indianapolis schools

2025-11-03T15:33:14+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools will hold three public “community conversations” for families, students, and staff to discuss the future of education in Indianapolis.

The meetings throughout November will allow participants to learn about the goals of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, a state-mandated group tasked with recommending how IPS and charter schools can share transportation and building resources in an environment that emphasizes school choice. The alliance has until the end of the year to submit recommendations to state lawmakers.

IPS has four representatives on the ILEA: Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, Andrew Neal, Tina Ahlgren, and Barato Britt.

Attendees will also hear about the school board’s recommendations submitted to the alliance and share their input on what the ILEA should consider about the future of public education in Indianapolis, according to the district.

Here are the dates, times, and locations of the community conversations:

From 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 at 120 E. Walnut St.
From 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 11 at Anna Brochhausen School 88, 5801 E. 16th St.
From 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 13, at a virtual Microsoft Teams meeting.

Attendees can register here to attend and view the district’s web page on the ILEA here.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public School board approves sale of artwork to fund arts education

2025-10-31T00:26:25+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board approved a plan to transfer 148 pieces of fine art to the IPS Foundation to create an arts education fund for students.

The IPS Foundation will sell the artwork to the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, which will pay $1.16 million for the paintings. The foundation will use the proceeds from the sale to establish the IPS Arts Enrichment fund. That fund will support arts instruction and enrichment activities such as field trips and visiting artists programs, the district said earlier this week.

The pieces of art, which date from the 1890s through the 1970s, were kept in storage but once hung in IPS schools that are now closed, according to the district.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS school board approves sale of John Marshall building for $350,000

2025-10-30T23:04:45+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board approved the sale of the John Marshall school building for $350,000 at its meeting on Thursday.

The sale of a 16-acre portion of the 40-acre John Marshall campus marks the end of the district’s history with the school, which first opened in 1967 as a high school on the Far Eastside. The building was last used for a middle school, which closed permanently in 2018. It’s unclear what plan that the purchaser, Ayesha Investments LLC, has for the building.

The sale is contingent on the district successfully petitioning the city to rezone the land for commercial use.

The city is working with Indy Parks on an effort to incorporate another roughly 14-acre part of the campus into the Grassy Creek Regional Park master plan. In addition, a task force is considering plans for a separate lot of roughly eight acres that includes over 400 parking spaces.

As part of the sale agreement, Ayesha Investments will have an exclusive license to use those parking spaces.

Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated to include the correct opening year for John Marshall High School.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools changes Office of Racial Equity amid national backlash to DEI

2025-10-29T21:15:20+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools has changed its Office of Racial Equity into the Office of Strategic Excellence amid increasing pressure on schools to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

The racial equity office, which opened in 2015, guided the district as it has tried to solve longstanding inequities in urban districts nationwide. Those include the disproportionate suspension of students of color and gaps in academic performance. Those challenges are amplified in a highly diverse district where over one-third of students are Black and over one-third are Hispanic, according to state enrollment records.

The transition was meant to ensure “that every student has what they need to be successful, regardless of their identity,” the district said in a statement Wednesday.

Although equity has been a cornerstone of Superintendent Aleesia Johnson’s tenure, the under-the-radar change comes amid a backlash to equity initiatives locally and nationwide. President Donald Trump in January threatened to withhold federal education funds from schools that teach what the administration called “discriminatory equity ideology,” a directive Indiana complied with. Gov. Mike Braun also signed an executive order this year targeting initiatives and spending related to DEI.

Patricia Payne, who led the Office of Racial Equity as a longstanding IPS employee and advocate for educational equity, now leads the Office of Strategic Excellence with the support of two other employees, the district said. At least one previously worked in the Office of Racial Equity. The district has also removed references to the Office of Racial Equity from its website.

“This office continues to organize longstanding events like the Spirit of Freedom and the MLK Celebration in addition to providing support to our schools and staff in creating excellent learning environments for all students,” the district said.

The racial equity office held annual racial equity summits and staff training sessions — including a two-day intensive equity school workshop led by the Racial Equity Institute, according to presentations given to the school board. But due to a lack of funding, the district said the partnership with the institute has ended and those racial equity trainings are no longer offered.

After the murder of George Floyd prompted a nationwide racial reckoning in 2020, the office also helped present a board policy acknowledging the impact that the city’s historical racism and segregation has on students today. The policy, which is still listed as a board policy online, also commits the district to eliminating opportunity gaps between subgroups of students while disrupting “institutionally racist” structures and policies in IPS.

But Indiana Republicans have recently embraced Trump’s vigorous opposition to DEI. In addition to Braun’s executive order, Attorney General Todd Rokita launched the Eyes on Education portal in 2024 that encourages residents to report divisive ideology in schools. Districts highlighted in the portal said at the time that it contained outdated, inaccurate, or incomplete information.

IPS is listed in the portal with an accompanying screenshot of an email from the Office of Racial Equity inviting employees to join affinity groups based on shared identity such as race, religion, or gender.

The district did not respond to questions about these documents in the portal.

Equity is a guiding principle in the district’s Rebuilding Stronger plan, which seeks to stabilize IPS enrollment and finances while also providing more educational opportunities to students of color.

Racial equity was also a component of the district’s 2025 Strategic Plan, which sought to lower suspension rates for Black students with disabilities and eliminate the gap in test scores between Black and Hispanic students in IPS and those students across the state.

Regina Turner, co-chair of the education committee for the greater Indianapolis branch of the NAACP, said the district is in the best position to determine the work it does and who should do it.

But she said the NAACP’s goal of advocating for the best education for all children all of the time — including children of color — will not change no matter who is in charge.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools considers selling John Marshall school building for $350,000

2025-10-28T23:46:10+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board will consider selling roughly 16 acres of the former John Marshall school property on the Far Eastside as part of a plan to dispose of the abandoned site in three separate parcels.

The board will vote on Thursday whether to sell the northwest portion of the property that includes the John Marshall building to Ayesha Investments, LLC for $350,000.

The sale is contingent on whether the district can successfully petition the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development to rezone the entire property from school use to special commercial use. That zoning classification allows for commercial, residential, and recreational use, Brandon Sweeney, an operations project manager for the district, told the school board on Tuesday.

The plan is the latest in a yearslong attempt to decide a future for the former school property since it closed as a middle school at the end of the 2017-18 school year. The school opened in 1967 as a high school and closed in 1986 because of declining enrollment. It reopened in 1993, serving as a middle school, a high school, and once again as a middle school before permanently closing in 2018.

The district also must petition the city to slightly modify the boundaries of the three parcels that make up the John Marshall site.The parcel on which the building sits is proposed for sale. The district is working with Indy Parks to include a second, southern 14-acre portion of the property in the Grassy Creek Regional Park master plan.

And a John Marshall task force is developing a plan for a third parcel to the east, which includes 464 parking spaces.

Under the sales agreement, Ayesha Investments would also have an exclusive right to use those 464 parking spaces in the east parcel. The parking is required in order to support rezoning for commercial use, which requires more parking per square foot than schools, according to the district.

The company’s plan for the building is unclear. A law firm listed as a registered agent for the company in state business filings did not respond to a request for comment. No one from the company spoke at the meeting.

Sweeney said he thinks the buyer intends to have the building serve multiple purposes, but he is not sure there’s a finalized plan.

Previous attempts to sell or lease the property, given an “unsatisfactory” rating in a district-commissioned building assessment, have been unsuccessful. In 2018, the district rejected two proposals from parties interested in leasing the property. In 2019, the district made it available to charter schools or state educational institutions for the sale or lease price of $1, in accordance with state law, but no parties were interested.

And after agreeing to sell the site to the city for $725,000, the city informed the district in 2024 that it would not move forward with the purchase, citing over $18 million in deferred maintenance costs for the building.

Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated to include the correct opening year for John Marshall High School.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools plans to use $1.2 million from sale of paintings on arts education

2025-10-27T19:07:50+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools plans to use over $1 million in proceeds from the sale of artwork to boost arts education for IPS students.

The school board on Thursday will vote on whether to transfer 148 pieces of art that the district has in storage to the nonprofit IPS Foundation. Under the proposal, the foundation would then sell the paintings to the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, which received a Lilly Endowment, Inc. grant to purchase the pieces for $1.16 million as part of the $1.65 million grant.

The sale would establish the IPS Arts Enrichment Fund to support “high-quality arts instruction, enrichment activities, field trips, and visiting artists programs across IPS schools,” the district said in a press release.

“This proposed partnership honors our past while investing in our students’ creative futures,” IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said in a statement. “These historic artworks reflect the deep connections between IPS and the Hoosier arts community.”

Many of the pieces of art, which date from the 1890s through the 1970s, once hung in IPS schools that are now closed, according to the district.

The proposal follows a multi-year district art restoration project that included assessing over 1,000 pieces of art, furniture, and other items in permanent storage, according to IPS. While low- or no-value art and furniture were auctioned in January 2024, other pieces of art were identified as “fine art” and appraised.

A final report from that project concluded that some of the art had significant value but faced risk of further deterioration without qualified staff or resources to preserve it. The report recommended turning the collection over to an accredited museum, according to the district.

The district would start putting the sales proceeds to use in the fall of 2026, according to IPS. IPS administrators and the district arts instruction team would determine how to use the Arts Enrichment Fund.

The state museum would select a portion of the collection to join its own permanent collection, and would plan to place the remaining pieces with other Indiana institutions such as museums, libraries, and community centers, according to a presentation that will be given to the school board this week.

The rest of the Lilly grant would fund the restoration and conservation efforts of the artwork.

“As a statewide institution that has been heavily focused on Indiana art for more than a century, we have an opportunity to use our expertise to ensure the responsible stewardship of these artworks and to make them publicly accessible again,” Susannah Koerber, the state museum’s chief curator and research officer, said in a statement. “Through this collaboration, we can also help ensure that IPS students continue to experience art in meaningful ways.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Denver, D.C officials share lessons on school systems with Indianapolis Local Education Alliance

2025-10-23T03:26:58+00:00

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In the future, Indianapolis’ traditional public and charter schools could answer to a single authority, like a mayor or an elected board. They could have a universal accountability system and an enrollment structure that ensures district and charter schools enroll students in certain subgroups — like those with disabilities — at a similar rate.

These were some of the takeaways from what current and former officials in Denver and Washington, D.C. public schools shared with the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance at its fifth meeting on Wednesday.

The presentations came from the perspective of two urban systems that feature a hybrid of traditional and charter schools and could offer both potential solutions and cautionary tales for the alliance as it crafts recommendations on the future of IPS.

In some ways, Indianapolis shares some features of these cities, like a centralized enrollment system — Enroll Indy — that nearly all schools within IPS enrollment borders use. But in other ways, the cities are different: Both Denver and Washington, D.C. have only one entity that authorizes new charter schools. Existing Indianapolis charter schools are overseen by one of three authorizers.

Mayor Joe Hogsett, chair of the ILEA, said the alliance invited the guests to present not with the intention of Indianapolis emulating either city’s model, but to help the ILEA understand “that there are multiple options, and each have their strengths as well as their own shortcomings.”

Universal accountability, enrollment in Denver Public Schools

In Denver, charter and district schools agreed in 2010 to adhere to similar standards while receiving similar levels of funding, said Alyssa Whitehead-Bust, a former top official at Denver Public Schools who is now a partner at the Attuned Education Partners consulting firm.

That means, for example, that charters had to serve a proportional share of some of the hardest-to-serve and most expensive students, including those with disabilities.

Enrollment in Denver Public Schools is now declining. But when it was growing, a “Strategic Regional Analysis” helped guide the district on when and where to open schools. Schools that meet needs outlined in the annual analysis can operate in a district-run facility and are part of a shared transportation system with district schools, she said.

Those that don’t meet needs identified in the analysis can choose to opt in to yellow bus service, she said.

Denver schools are graded on a universal school performance framework. The district had its own framework for many years. But the school board got rid of it in 2020, and now uses the state’s school rating system.

A student-based budgeting formula distributes money across both school types based on certain criteria, with additional funding given for English language learners or students in poverty, for example.

In Washington, D.C., mayor has oversight

In Washington, D.C., a single charter school board appointed by the mayor authorizes schools. The mayor also hires the school chancellor responsible for traditional public schools.

In the early days of the charter sector, charters had the right of first refusal to vacant district buildings, said Paul Kihn, deputy D.C. mayor of education. Now that the city no longer has any available buildings, charter schools receive additional money for facilities.

Kihn said traditional schools are meant to serve as neighborhood school options while charter schools offer more innovative educational models.

But even without an elected school board, Kihn said engaging with the public still matters. And, he said, getting two sectors to think as one ecosystem has taken decades.

“It’s important to put in the time, but it doesn’t happen, I don’t think, by magic,” he said. “And it also doesn’t happen with the wave of a particular policy wand. You’ve got to have these constituent elements working together.”

What else can Indianapolis learn from Denver and D.C.?

ILEA member Tina Ahlgren noted that in contrast to Washington D.C., residents in IPS are just a fraction of the city-county residents who elect a mayor. Having mayoral control of the school system could mean that some voters elect a mayor based on the success of IPS and charter schools, while other voters in the county’s other school districts do not.

In public comment, Bryan Duarte, a taxpayer and education professor, urged the ILEA to maintain a fully elected school board. He pointed to Chicago Public Schools, which is transitioning from an appointed to an elected school board.

Khai Vuong, an Indianapolis educator, said Indianapolis could learn lessons from Denver and D.C.

“We learned a lot about how we don’t need to point fingers and start conflict,” Vuong said. “But we have a clear case study of how IPS, innovation and charter schools can have a clear example of what a unified network looks like.”

The alliance must submit recommendations to state lawmakers by the end of the year. The next ILEA meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 19 at a location to be determined.

This story has been updated to include more recent information on Denver Public Schools.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis charter, private schools approved for three-year state facilities and transportation pilot

2025-10-21T21:15:31+00:00

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The Indiana Department of Education approved a three-year pilot for more than 50 Indianapolis public charter and private schools to collaborate on how to best use transportation and building resources.

The state’s approval, announced Tuesday, allows 28 independent charter schools and 22 charters affiliated with the Indianapolis Public Schools Innovation Network to test new solutions for facilities and transportation. Those are two of the most challenging topics for charter schools, which have historically not received property tax funding. The Oak Academy’s three private school campuses are also participants.

The pilot, which will begin in the 2026-27 school year, allows participants to receive waivers from certain state requirements regarding school buildings or transportation. It’s unclear which state laws the department may waive. Indiana law has a number of requirements for school transportation, including requirements for school bus drivers, school bus inspections and registration, and school bus safety.

The department also approved Eastern Hancock Schools and the Career Academy Network of Public Schools, a charter network in South Bend, to participate in their own pilot programs.

“Through this pilot, schools will have an opportunity to try out new, innovative solutions, learn some lessons, and ultimately, create a model that others can adopt and adapt to meet their unique needs,” Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said in a statement.

The coalition of Indianapolis schools is led by the Indianapolis-based nonprofit TogetherEd, formerly known as the Center for Innovative Education Solutions, which has assisted charter schools with finding cost-effective services.The group said in its application that it could consider coordinating procurement of services and equipment, such as furniture and HVAC systems, across multiple schools. The group also pitched pooling rides across different schools or collaborating on transportation for certain activities.

The programs aim to “foster innovation, efficiency, and collaboration” by reimagining how schools manage buildings and deliver transportation, the department said in a press release.

The state-created Indianapolis Local Education Alliance also must submit recommendations to state lawmakers by the end of the year on how schools can effectively use transportation and facilities resources across the charter and IPS sectors.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance gets requests. Governance, accountability emerge as themes.

2025-10-10T16:24:38+00:00

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It’s a critical time for the future of public schools in Indianapolis.

The growth of school choice over the past two decades has ushered in a fractured educational landscape that the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, mandated by state lawmakers, now must solve.

There are 49 district schools and 54 charter schools accountable to different authorities, according to figures from the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, or OEI. Some charters are part of the district’s Innovation Network of autonomous schools that use IPS buildings and transportation. Others are independent.

Enrollment data indicate there are roughly 9,000 more seats than students enrolled in schools across the city. Schools have no local measure of quality, although a statewide framework is in development. And IPS has underutilized building space.

Transportation and school buildings are the two topics the ILEA must submit recommendations on to state and local leaders, but the group could consider suggestions for these and other issues, such as policies for students with disabilities, that are critical to the city’s educational landscape.

As the ILEA continues its work, at least five organizations have made recommendations on these topics through petitions and public statements in an effort to influence the group’s advice to city and state leaders. They include the IPS school board and groups more critical of charter schools — the IPS Parent Council and the Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America — as well as RISE Indy, an education advocacy group that works with charter and traditional schools, and parents and educators from Stand for Children Indiana, a group that has pushed for high-performing charter schools. Although it has not released a plan, the charter advocacy group the Mind Trust has stressed that IPS has a severe structural budget deficit and must transition to a financially sustainable future.

Online petitions from the Parent Council and the Central Indiana DSA have roughly 300 signatures. A petition supporting Stand for Children’s “Together We Thrive” proposal has over 2,000 signatures according to Stand.

Below are the major topics addressed in the proposals and the changes the groups suggest the ILEA should make. Not every organization made recommendations on every topic.

Should there be a cap on new schools in Indianapolis?

The IPS board is calling for a cap on new schools, while the Central Indiana DSA and Parent Council are calling specifically for a cap on charters. The Parent Council says the moratorium on new charter schools should go until 2035.

The expansion of charters within IPS borders has generated instability for students, these groups have argued.

Historically, 1 in 3 charter schools has closed, and IPS has closed schools as a result of increased competition.

These three groups argue that the city should assess its actual need for schools.

“The long-term success of Indianapolis students depends on right-sizing the number of schools within the boundary — ensuring we have the right number of schools, in the right places, to serve all students effectively,” the school board said in its statement.

RISE Indy and Stand’s proposals don’t suggest a cap on schools, but rather advocate for replicating successful ones.

Who should govern Indianapolis charter and IPS schools?

Currently, IPS and charter schools have different governance models. Traditional IPS schools are overseen by a superintendent hired by the elected school board. Charter schools have their own nonprofit school boards that hire school leaders and are given the ability to open schools by charter authorizers, which are responsible for holding charters accountable. Indianapolis charter schools currently use three authorizers.

The school board wants to remain an elected board with authority over district schools and suggests that OEI, which authorizes most Indianapolis charters, should serve as the sole authorizer for Indianapolis.

The Parent Council also wants to keep an elected board for IPS, and requests that charter authorizers consider whether to continue granting a school’s charter every five years rather than 15.. The council also wants charters partnering with IPS to submit financial and achievement data to the district.

The Central Indiana DSA argues strongly for an elected school board and says that charters should be under the authority of the board rather than OEI.

Stand’s proposal suggests a hybrid school board of elected and appointed members that would serve as a charter authorizer. RISE Indy also suggests an elected board with some appointed seats and told Chalkbeat that two authorizers would be best practice.

How should Indianapolis schools be graded?

All groups want a universal accountability framework by which to measure school success.

RISE Indy’s proposal provides the most detail for what that framework could look like. The group calls for a system that tracks success across all student subgroups, ensures a reduction in discipline, and improves outcomes for students with disabilities. Schools that consistently underperform could face potential closure or consolidation regardless of whether they are traditional or charter, the group says.

Schools last received state letter grades in 2018, and since then, there hasn’t been a summative measure to determine schools’ performance.

The State Board of Education will formulate a new A-F rating system by December, but it’s unclear whether the ILEA will recommend an accountability system and whether that system would be the state’s framework.

Who should provide transportation for charters, IPS?

Currently, IPS contracts with First Student for its yellow bus service and offers IndyGo passes for eligible high school students.

Transportation varies across charter schools. Just fewer than half of independent charter schools offer bus services, according to an OEI report. Roughly half of charters in the IPS Innovation Network use IPS bus services.

Most of the 30 Innovation schools use IPS transportation at no cost or pay a significantly reduced rate, according to IPS.

The Central Indiana DSA wants charters to pay their share for transportation.

“If IPS is to extend its transportation services to charters, we can’t rob IPS students to pay for it,” the group says in a statement. “We must create new funding sources, or charters must pay their fair share.”

Stand’s proposal suggests that IPS central office provide transportation for all schools.

RISE Indy suggests a separate transportation authority that allows schools to opt into a transportation system.

The district says transportation should prioritize student safety and equitable access, including for students with disabilities. IPS serves a higher percentage of students with disabilities than charter schools as a whole.

What should become of underused IPS buildings?

The district, the Parent Council, and the Central Indiana DSA support repealing a state law that requires districts to provide unused school buildings to charter schools for the sale or lease price of $1.

The law was meant to secure cheaper facilities for charters, which without property tax revenues have struggled with building acquisition. Instead, it has resulted in a lengthy legal battle between the district and the state. The two buildings that charters have purchased for $1 have needed costly renovations.

The school board wants unused school buildings to continue serving public needs, such as housing.

Stand’s plan suggests giving available buildings to schools that are successful, as determined by an accountability framework. RISE Indy also suggests rededicating unused or underutilized buildings for “world-class learning environments.” Neither group addresses the $1 law.

How much does it cost to educate an Indianapolis student?

The school board and Central Indiana DSA are also calling for adequate education funding for public schools.

But how much that amount might be is unclear. The school board challenged ILEA members to come up with a maximum and minimum dollar amount of what it takes to educate a child in Indianapolis.

While assessed property values skyrocketed in the years immediately following the pandemic — heralding good news for the district’s property tax revenues — IPS officials anticipate the tax base will decline in the future due to new property tax reforms. Charters, however, are expecting more property tax funds in the coming years.

And over the past decade, state and federal revenues have not covered the full cost of special education and English language learner services, according to IPS. The funding gap for special education has averaged $19.8 million annually, while the gap for English language learner services has averaged $6.5 million.

Stand’s proposal suggests reducing central office administration expenses to direct more funding to schools, but does not suggest an amount.

The next ILEA meeting is Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. at a location to be determined. The group must submit its recommendations to state and local leaders by the end of 2025.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS school board opposes any plan for an all-charter system, calls for elected board in letter to ILEA

2025-10-03T17:52:17+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board on Friday opposed any plan to create a future all-charter school system in a letter to the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance that listed seven requests for the group to consider as it rethinks the city’s school system.

The letter to the ILEA from the seven-member school board is among a litany of requests the ILEA has received in recent months. The letter, signed by all seven board members, is the first public list of requests the board has made to the group.

The group — created by state lawmakers and composed of Mayor Joe Hogsett, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, and mayoral and district appointees — is tasked with providing recommendations for more efficient transportation and facility agreements across the city’s fractured charter and IPS school sectors. But the group could also submit other recommendations to lawmakers, such as a new governance structure for all school types.

The IPS board said in its statement that members “reject the notion” that a shift to an all-charter system “is the solution for education in our community.”

“Twenty years after the launch of charter schools in our city, student achievement remains low, with collective proficiency rates yet to reach 30% regardless of school type,” the statement said. “This is not criticism of charter schools—we proudly partner with multiple charter schools doing incredibly difficult work to serve students well.”

ILEARN rates for the charter sector as a whole range from roughly 10% proficiency in both English and math for independent charters to roughly 18% for charters associated with IPS and its Innovation Network, according to the latest 2025 results. Results for the district are at roughly 14%.

In its letter, the IPS board reiterated previous calls in ILEA and IPS board meetings to keep the school board democratically elected and noted school board elections for surrounding Marion County districts.

“The communities in each of these districts vote for their school board representatives, and there is no justifiable rationale why this practice should be different within IPS,” the statement said.

The letter follows the board’s recent public discussion on what it should ask the ILEA to consider. While most board members supported an elected board, member Deandra Thompson said at a meeting last week that she sees value in having some appointments to the board, such as a finance professional or attorney.

In their letter, IPS board members noted that examples from Newark and Chicago “demonstrate that communities are returning to elected governance models, recognizing that appointed boards diminish community voice and accountability.”

While Newark returned to an elected school board after years of state control, Chicago’s school board has transitioned from being fully appointed by the mayor to partially appointed and partially elected. The board there will be fully elected by 2027.

The IPS board also called for a moratorium on new schools and asked that the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation serve as the only authorizers of charter schools within IPS boundaries. Currently, three authorizers — Education One at Trine University, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, and the Indiana Charter School board — oversee such schools. Historically, 1 in 3 charter schools in Indianapolis has closed.

The board also called for transportation services to be safe while ensuring access for all students, including those with disabilities. Facilities belong to the taxpayers, the board argued, and any buildings no longer necessary for schools should be used for other “critical community needs” such as housing or early learning centers.

And the ILEA must acknowledge “the reality of adequate funding for public education,” the board said.

“We challenge the ILEA to present both the maximum and minimum of what it takes to educate a child in Indianapolis—and ask our community to decide what services and supports they are willing to fund,” the board said. “Our schools provide not only K-12 academic instruction but also Pre-K, health services, food pantries, mental health supports, and wraparound services that address barriers to student attendance and success. These services exist not because we receive specific funding for them, but because our schools are integral to our community.”

In some ways, the board’s proposal mirrors what other groups, including those who do and don’t support charters, have advocated for in ILEA meetings.

The Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America have advocated strongly for a fully democratically elected school board, and called the IPS board’s letter a “powerful, principled stance” in a statement.

Meanwhile, parents affiliated with the Stand for Children Indiana, a nonprofit supportive of charter schools, have published a plan calling for both democratically elected and appointed school board members. A petition supporting the plan has garnered over 2,000 signatures, according to Stand.

In a statement, the Mind Trust nonprofit that has helped launch charter schools in the city said the board’s recommendations don’t provide solutions for improving student achievement and fail to address the district’s projected $44 million budget deficit for this year.

The next ILEA meeting is Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. at a location to be determined.

This story was updated to include a statement from the Central Indiana DSA.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

City to pay consultant $40,000 per month for Indianapolis Local Education Alliance work

2025-10-01T20:37:03+00:00

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The city of Indianapolis will pay a consultant $40,000 per month for work with the state-mandated Indianapolis Local Education Alliance as the ILEA crafts recommendations for the future of education in the city.

Michael O’Connor, a principal of the Bose Public Affairs Group and a former chair of the Indianapolis Public Schools board, will lead the consulting work as part of the city’s contract with Bose. The firm will manage the ILEA’s ongoing work on how to change the city’s environment of fractured school transportation and building resources. State law also allows the group to consider a governance structure for both IPS and charter schools.

The six-month contract ends in December and covers the timespan the ILEA has to make recommendations for a more efficient school system to the state legislature. The group must submit those recommendations by the end of the year.

The city could choose to extend the contract for four more months for Bose to support the group’s recommendations as state lawmakers consider them during the 2026 legislative session.

Bose, which will lead the task forces, will also create a facilities assessment plan of all IPS and charter school buildings and “will develop for consideration by the ILEA a transportation model” to serve schools of all types, according to the contract.

The contract also requires the consultant to create an “exhaustive list” of other changes for state lawmakers to consider making to the landscape beyond buses and buildings, including future voter-approved tax increases, shared purchasing agreements between schools, and debt management.

Bose may also seek the Mayor Joe Hogsett’s approval to hire another outside consultant for the work at up to $100,000.

While the mayor’s office, which includes a charter school authorizer, and IPS are both represented on the ILEA and have each collected data and made presentations to the group, IPS is not contributing to the cost of the contract with Bose, per a district spokesperson.

At the ILEA meeting last week, O’Connor announced plans to split the nine-member group into two task forces: one focused on transportation and one on buildings. The groups will meet throughout October in closed-door sessions to produce options for both task forces to consider at a public meeting around early November, he said.

“Final decisions or recommendations will then be considered by the entire ILEA throughout the remainder of the fall in public meetings,” O’Connor said.

Members Barato Britt, Bart Peterson, and Angela Smith Jones will serve on the facilities task force. Members Tina Ahlgren, Maggie Lewis, Toby McClamroch, and Andrew Neal will serve in the transportation group, according to the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

Hogsett and IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson will be invited to attend all task force meetings.

The next ILEA meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 22 at a location to be announced.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Legal Prep charter school secures downtown location to serve grades 6-12

2025-09-30T22:09:26+00:00

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Legal Prep, the Chicago-based, legal-themed charter school opening a campus in Indianapolis next year, will launch at a onetime Indianapolis Public Schools building that currently operates as a coworking space.

The school’s downtown location at 525 S. Meridian St., currently known as the Union Campus, is central to Legal Prep’s desire to be close to the city’s legal and business community.

The school, approved by the mayor’s office in June, aims to launch in the 2026-27 school year with 225 students in grades 6 and 9. It will add one grade every year to its middle and high school grades until it reaches a total 825 students in its fourth year, according to its application.

The charter school will be one of the first to open since a divisive legislative session that pitted supporters of traditional IPS schools against charter school proponents. State lawmakers created the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to examine how IPS and charters can share transportation and buildings.

Legal Prep founder and CEO Samuel Finkelstein said a nonprofit that works with charter schools, Epic Change Education, will purchase the building, and lease space to the school, which will occupy roughly 20,000 square feet on the third floor. The annual cost to the school will be a bit more than the $200,000 estimated in its charter school application, Finkelstein said.

Eventually, the school aims to purchase the building.

“This location is so exciting, because it just is going to allow us to do so many new things,” Finkelstein said.

The building sits on nearly 1.6 acres downtown, less than a mile from Monument Circle, the Indiana Convention Center, and Lucas Oil Stadium. (Chalkbeat Indiana is a current tenant of the Union Campus).

The building is the site of the city’s former Industrial Training School, which opened in 1895 with a focus on vocational education and later became known as the Manual Training School. When Manual — later renamed Charles E. Emmerich Manual High School after the school’s first principal — moved 2.5 miles south in 1953, the school at the original site became known as Harry E. Wood High School.

The campus has changed ownership multiple times since IPS sold the buildings in 1981, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.

Finkelstein said the school is still hoping to attract students from historically disadvantaged communities.

As Legal Prep prepares to launch, proponents of traditional public schools and IPS school board members have been calling for a pause in new schools. Last school year, Indianapolis had roughly 9,000 more seats than students enrolled across IPS and charter schools, according to data from the city’s centralized enrollment system.

Still, Finkelstein said he thinks the school will be able to recruit its target of 225 students in year one.

“We think we’re going to be able to get there, and I won’t say easily — it’s going to take a lot of work,” he said. “But what we’ve found as we’ve been talking to students and families about what we’re offering, they’re really excited about it.”

The school will have an open house at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Union Campus building.

This story has been updated to include details for an open house.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools makes former Susan Roll Leach School 68 building available for $1

2025-09-26T00:14:03+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools has made the former Susan Leach School 68 building in the near eastside neighborhood available to interested charter schools or other educational institutions for $1.

The school board voted on Thursday to list the building as available for the purchase or lease price of $1 in accordance with a controversial state law requiring districts to make unused buildings available to charter schools. The move marks the end of its most recent uses in the district as storage space and winter shelter.

The vote comes as a state-mandated group considers which recommendations to make to state lawmakers to improve a fractured school system. One of the group’s tasks: to suggest how to use facilities more efficiently across IPS — which has shuttered schools and where enrollment has steadily declined — and charter schools, which routinely open and close in the city and struggle to find buildings.

A 2020 building study commissioned by the district concluded that the brick building — built in 1938 — had the lowest overall facility quality in the district, with a rating of 50. Buildings with ratings in the 60s were considered poor, while those with ratings below 60 were considered unsatisfactory.

IPS closed the school in the late 2000s after years of declining enrollment. The district leased the facility to the Indiana Juvenile Detention Center from 2015 to 2019 to operate Marion Academy, a high school for students in juvenile detention.

In 2021, the district began partnering with the city to use the space as winter shelter for families experiencing homelessness.

If no educational entity is interested in the property, the district can sell it without the $1 restriction.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

ILEA brainstorms school transportation challenges amid public calls for transportation for all

2025-09-25T02:35:19+00:00

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The price and availability of transportation for Indianapolis Public Schools and the dozens of charters in its borders vary greatly. Some challenges, however, are universal: finding dependable vendors, negotiating rising costs, and ensuring student safety.

The challenges with transportation, outlined in the fourth public meeting of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance by district and charter leaders, suggest that cost and logistics are barriers for charter schools, which have smaller budgets and smaller populations than the district as a whole.

The ILEA is tasked with making recommendations by the end of the year to state lawmakers. That includes solutions to address transportation problems for three school types: IPS, which has the buying power of a large district but has reduced the number of bus routes in recent years, charter schools within the IPS Innovation Network that use IPS transportation services, and independent charter schools that hire their own transportation or don’t provide it.

The ILEA must also make recommendations on efficient building usage across district and charter schools and could make suggestions on a governance model for all school types.

Roughly 18,300 IPS and Innovation schools students are projected to ride the yellow bus this school year, IPS Deputy Superintendent Andrew Strope told the alliance in a presentation. Another 2,100 will walk to school, and 900 high school students will take the city’s public transportation system, IndyGo.

Transportation costs an estimated 2,500 per student, according to the district. Last school year, yellow bus service cost about $40 million.

At Victory College Prep, a large K-12 charter network on the southeast side, bus services cost roughly $1.7 million annually, or 10% of the network’s operating budget, executive director Ryan Gall told the alliance. That includes 400 bus stops and bus service to internship opportunities, athletics, and after-school programming.

The Path School charter school within the IPS Innovation Network received IPS transportation at no cost in its first five years. This year, however, it will pay IPS roughly $250,000 for the service. Its transportation cost was among $12 million in busing services IPS paid for Innovation schools last year, according to the district. That represented 23% of the total transportation budget.

IPS — which has a higher proportion of students with disabilities than the charter sector — also spends a portion of its state-allocated special education funding on bus monitors and specialized equipment, such as wheelchair lifts, for these students.

ILEA member Andrew Neal stressed that the group must consider transportation opportunities for those types of students with the highest barriers to transportation access.

“As we think about these smaller populations, when we design systems or opportunities, when we solve for those who have the highest barriers, we solve for everyone else,” he said.

Public comment stresses limited funding

In public comment, supporters of traditional IPS schools urged the ILEA to allow the elected school board to continue to oversee bus services instead of outsourcing transportation under a separate authority.

They also argued that sharing resources with charter schools would further strain transportation resources that are already stretched thin. Instead, they asked whether charter schools could receive transportation funding from education reform donors and questioned the salaries of charter leaders.

“You seem to be laboring under the delusion that we have a surplus of buses to offer you, when the reality is that my public school kids, the kids you also serve, are already forced to take the city bus or an alternative means of transportation,” said Hannah Marley, a teacher at Crispus Attucks High School.

But advocates with RISE Indy and Stand for Children, groups that have supported charter schools, urged the alliance to look beyond the charter-IPS political divide and solve the transportation challenge for all students regardless of school type.

Lina Soche said she had to change her work schedule to get her son to Promise Prep, a charter school on the east side, before pushing the school to provide bus service for her son.

“This stress affects both parents and children,” she said, noting that centralizing the system would help everyone.

Guthrie Beyer, an IPS graduate, said the only solution is for a democratic body to raise taxes to fund the transportation system adequately.

“The IPS budget is shrinking because of the state legislature’s property tax cut, and so the dirty secret that everyone is dancing around is there’s not enough money for buses for anyone,” he said. “That’s the problem.”

Demands extend beyond transportation, buildings

Those supportive of traditional IPS schools stressed that the transportation challenges were exacerbated by the city’s embrace of school choice.

“We need to eliminate the self-imposed complexity caused by so-called school choice,” said Jishnu Guha-Majumdar, a university professor and taxpayer. “We don’t need to bus from every part of the district to every other part of the district.”

Instead, he said, the city should make a democratically elected school board the sole authorizer of charter schools, end the revolving door of new charters, and fully fund public schools.

The suggestions are similar to recommendations made by advocates with Stand for Children. Its plan calls for the school board to be the sole authorizer of charters within district boundaries but also calls for a board with both appointed and elected members.

The plan also calls for a transportation service operated by the district’s central office for all schools and a uniform accountability system that would prioritize facility space for schools that are successful. Determining a school’s success, the petition states, would not depend solely on test scores.

At an IPS school board meeting on Tuesday, board members also brainstormed what requests it should make to the ILEA in a formal statement that has yet to be submitted. Members agreed that the board should be elected.

Board members also agreed on a number of other requests, including a limit on the number of charter authorizers and a pause in the creation of new schools.

Board member Nicole Carey cautioned at Tuesday’s meeting that universal transportation across the district is financially untenable. There must be guardrails, she said, to ensure the district’s financial health while also offering transportation.

“For the sake of access for everyone everywhere, if we can’t afford to have a basic education, then that doesn’t make sense,” she said.

The next ILEA meetings are on Oct. 22, Nov. 19, and Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. at locations to be announced.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Over 50 Indianapolis schools apply to collaborate on transportation, facilities

2025-09-08T20:56:03+00:00

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Over 50 Indianapolis charter and private schools have applied to share transportation and school building resources as part of a new pilot program.

The application submitted to the Indiana Department of Education is from TogetherEd, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit that assists charter schools. It lists a collective of 28 independent charter schools and 22 charters affiliated with the IPS Innovation Network as applicants, as well as the Oak Academy’s three private school campuses.

The pilot is supposed to help charters tackle some of their biggest challenges as they have grown in Indianapolis. As smaller entities, they have limited purchasing power for services such as transportation. And with historically limited access to property tax funding, they have frequently struggled to acquire and maintain building space.

Schools and school districts can opt into the pilot, which is statewide, to create independent boards that oversee school facilities and transportation across all pilot participants.

As part of the facility pilot, the schools would explore creating a catalog that tracks all available facilities across school partners, according to TogetherEd’s application. They would also consider coordinating the procurement of services and equipment — such as furniture, HVAC systems, and lab supplies — on behalf of multiple schools for potential cost savings through shared purchasing power.

Meanwhile, schools would consider pooling rides across multiple schools or collaborating on transportation to specialized learning experiences such as career and technical education, the application states. They would also look at improving transportation access for students experiencing homelessness.

Lawmakers created the pilot earlier this year, after a confrontational legislative session in which Republican legislators called for more efficiency in the Indianapolis school environment where there has been intense competition between Indianapolis Public Schools, charters, and private schools that accept state-funded vouchers.

Andy Seibert of TogetherEd said the application is not a step-by-step blueprint, but rather an opportunity for schools to collect data and an understanding of existing facility and transportation assets and challenges.

“Part of what we know is going to be true is really going to work to foster ongoing collaborative conversations with schools and partners,” Seibert said. “And the beautiful thing of the pilot is that we can be responsive.”

Seibert said TogetherEd hopes to hear from the state regarding its application in October.

One of the schools listed as a charter on TogetherEd’s application, the Cold Spring School, applied to become a charter, but IPS rejected the move in June. Cold Spring is part of the Innovation Network.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

How social media fuels youth gun violence in Indianapolis

2025-09-08T10:20:00+00:00

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This article was co-reported by Chalkbeat Indiana and Axios Indianapolis as part of a reporting partnership about youth gun violence in Indianapolis.

As teenager Oswin Ortiz Jr. lay shot outside his home in 2019, his father approached him and asked who had shot him.

“All he could say was ‘Snapchat’ and pointed to his phone,” police wrote in a probable cause affidavit for the arrest of Joshua Grow.

After Ortiz’s death, police officers went through his and Grow’s Snapchat accounts. There, they found videos Ortiz took of THC he was trying to sell, according to the affidavit. And hours before Ortiz’s death, Grow was trying to find someone he could rob.

“Where a lick,” read a message from Grow’s Snapchat account to another acquaintance, using slang for a robbery target. “I need money.” Grow, who was 18 at the time, eventually pleaded guilty to a charge in connection with Ortiz’s shooting and was sentenced to several decades in prison.

Since 2018, over one-third of the gun homicides involving Indianapolis youth for which prosecutors have brought murder charges have featured social media in some form, according to a Chalkbeat and Axios analysis of 72 probable-cause affidavits. Teenagers use Facebook to set up drug deals that turn into robberies gone wrong. Trash talking that starts on Snapchat ends in gunfire. Police search Instagram messages and videos for clues.

Social media’s complex role in the city’s youth gun homicides makes for a daunting obstacle in curbing youth violence. Already, 21 people ages 19 and under have been killed by gunfire in 2025, more than all of last year. Since 2020, nearly 200 people in that age range have been killed by gunfire.

The algorithm of platforms like Instagram can feed vulnerable youth a fake reality in which violence is the norm, students and experts say. It can also amplify pre-existing drama between students before an audience of their peers both during and outside of school hours. And it can make communication between teenagers — whether to meet up to trade a gun or buy marijuana — instantaneous and discreet.

Each of these pieces contributes to a youth violence problem that’s difficult to solve, but not impossible, researchers say. And calls for the city to do more have reached a fever pitch after a mass shooting involving at least four teens in the heart of downtown during the Fourth of July weekend.

Paul Boxer, a professor of psychology at Rutgers and author of “The Future of Youth Violence Prevention: A Mixtape for Practice, Policy, and Research,” said there are effective strategies to combat youth violence that social media is exacerbating, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. But they often come with a fairly significant upfront investment that communities don’t always want to make — despite cost effectiveness studies that show a positive return.

“We can prevent youth violence,” Boxer said. “We can prevent gun violence. Where there’s a will there’s a way.”

Social media aids meetups, makes private fights public

Ania Raines remembers her brother, 16-year-old Xavier Weir, arguing with people over Instagram live in the months leading up to his death in 2019.

Isaiha Funez, one of the two people charged with his murder, told police that Weir posted a $1,200 bounty on his head on Snapchat weeks before.

Weir, in turn, was being accused of giving information to authorities about car thefts in Carmel, Raines said.

“‘He’s calling you a snitch,’” one girl said to Weir in a video, according to Raines. He sent emojis of laughing faces back in response.

Michelle and Ania Raines, Xavier Weir's mother and sister, sit below a framed portrait of Xavier at their home in Indianapolis. They remember him as a loving, protective older brother.

All that time, Weir’s peers at Scecina Memorial High School watched the drama from their phone screens. After his death that April, a classmate showed Weir’s mother, Michelle Raines, the arguments that unfolded over social media — which the classmate had recorded. (Funez eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.)

Since 2018, many of the gun homicides involving school-aged children that have reached the Marion County prosecutor’s office have involved social media in some form.

In at least 25 out of 72 of those homicides, police documented the use of Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, or Facebook in the moments leading up to or after the homicide, according to a Chalkbeat Indiana and Axios Indianapolis analysis of affidavits for those arrested for the deaths.

The analysis examined cases filed from 2018 through late January 2025, and includes all cases in which a defendant or a victim of gun homicides were ages 6 to 18. (Not all defendants arrested for these homicides were convicted of murder — some had their cases dropped, for example, while others pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.)

Data: Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and probable cause affidavits.

Note: Not all defendants were found guilty as charges may have changed or cases may still be pending.

Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

To teenagers, social media is a form of both entertainment and communication, students told Chalkbeat. Instagram trends can flood a school community. One account might be dedicated to publicizing school fights. Another account might post photos of students asleep in class.

Teens use social media apps in place of a classmate’s direct phone number, which can feel too personal. But that also means that communication between students is highly publicized.

Vague notes left on Instagram stories might be a “sneak diss” — an insult that does not directly name the target. Students fight through posts on their Instagram stories by screenshotting their aggressor’s post and writing their reply over it so that everyone can see.

“It’s one thing for someone to be rude to you,” said Noa Kaufman-Nichols, a recent graduate of Shortridge High School who was active in the school’s Key Club and student government. “But for someone to be rude to you in front of hundreds of people and possibly more if you have a public account, I think that adds a level of anger that [wasn’t] there before.”

Michelle Raines still keeps photos of her son, Xavier Weir, throughout childhood neatly packed in his room. He played football and was recruited by Xavier University before his death, she said.

The Chalkbeat and Axios analysis found that students also used social media often to meet in person and buy or trade guns or marijuana.

Hours before his fatal shooting in 2019, Weir advertised THC cartridges and marijuana for sale on Snapchat, one witness told police, according to the affidavit for Funez’s arrest. (Raines said that a detective later told her the cartridges contained nicotine, not THC). After Ortiz Jr. was shot the same year at age 17, police also found videos of THC he wanted to sell in his Snapchat account, according to an affidavit.

After Weir sold cartridges to girls at a westside gas station, a car followed him to a residential area in Beech Grove, where Weir was fatally shot.

Even after his death, Weir’s younger sister, Ania, faced bullying online, Raines said. One student at her private school sent a screenshot of Weir’s tombstone to her, asking her how her brother was.

“I told them, ‘This has got to stop, she’s going to end up retaliating,’” Raines recalled telling school officials before she pulled her from the school. “It’s not going to be good.”

Social media presents alternate reality to teens

Hours before his death in October 2021,17-year-old Abdulla Mubarak posted two videos to his Snapchat, according to police records. He was standing in a field, talking and laughing with 22-year-old Michael James, who is recorded shooting a handgun with a switch on it and emptying the gun’s magazine. Their bodies — along with the body of 18-year-old Joseph Thomas — were later found in the same field.

Social media can present an echo chamber for teens — one in which having guns, money, and marijuana is normalized, students and experts said.

“It’s one thing for someone to be rude to you,” said Noa Kaufman-Nichols, a recent graduate of Shortridge High School. “But for someone to be rude to you in front of hundreds of people and possibly more if you have a public account, I think that adds a level of anger that [wasn’t] there before.”

“It turns into something you see every day, basically. It influences you to be like these people,” said Ariyah Mitchell, a recent Southport High School graduate who previously served on the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council.

Social media algorithms can also preference controversial, emotional, and violent content to drive activity and engagement, Boxer said.

“It’s making them believe the world is a violent place,” Boxer said, “and suspect guns are a good way to solve problems.”

These kinds of posts and references on social media can help police make an arrest.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 4, 2020, a Snapchat user police believed to be Treshawn Davidson, 17, was looking for 15-year-old Peter Lambermont.

“He took my gun I need u to find him,” lilbandz1219 said to another user, according to an affidavit filed in Davidson’s arrest. Davidson later pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm and assisting a criminal, charges connected with Lambermont’s death.

Later that afternoon, Snapchat messages show that Lambermont met with Treshawn and 18-year-old Jakeb Wells, who was later found guilty of Lambermont’s murder. After Lambermont was found dead on the city’s east side, Wells posted a video of himself singing on Snapchat.

“That little kid got murk’d, I had to put him on a shirt,” Wells sang, referencing slang for murder, according to the affidavit. “I shot his body, made him twerk.”

Indiana seeks solutions in and out of school

User guidelines for several social media companies technically prohibit content containing violence or threats. To avoid spreading harmful content, Snapchat moderates content in Spotlight and Discover feeds before it is recommended for distribution to a larger audience, according to Snap, the company that operates Snapchat.

Meta, which operates Instagram and Facebook, says that it hides certain content from teenagers, including offers from legitimate businesses to sell firearms.

But those policies alone can’t fix the problem.

Government officials have tried both in-school and out-of-school solutions to limit screen time or reduce the potential for youth violence.

"It influences you to be like these people," Ariyah Mitchell, a recent graduate of Southport High School, said of social media's algorithms.

Northwest Middle School Principal Nichole Morrow-Weaver told Chalkbeat last November that Indiana’s cell phone ban in schools, which took effect last year, had a positive effect.

“A lot of the issues that we have stem from social media outside of school,” Morrow-Weaver said. “Without having the cell phones in schools this year, we’ve seen a big decrease in that.”

Yet other potentially useful in-school approaches aren’t getting the same support from policymakers.

Social-emotional learning can be effective in improving student well-being and reducing violence, research has shown. But Republican lawmakers removed teacher training requirements related to social-emotional learning, cultural competency and restorative justice this past legislative session as part of a larger school deregulation effort.

“Teachers should focus on academic rigor, math, science, reading, and writing, technical skills, instead of this emotional regulation, empathy, and et cetera,” said Sen. Gary Byrne, a Republican.

Studies conducted in school settings have also found that cognitive behavioral therapy-based anger management interventions are effective. But Indiana had just one counselor for every 351 students last school year, higher than the recommended ratio of 1-to-250.

Ratios for other school-based mental health care providers are even worse, with 2,700 students per school psychologist and 1,829 students per social worker, according to Indiana University.

Outside of school, Indianapolis officials recently implemented a stricter curfew for youth — but even city leaders disagree on the effectiveness of such policies.

Weir’s bedroom is filled with childhood mementos — certificates of accomplishment from the private Catholic school he attended, a collection of Nike shoes stacked in boxes, and photos of him on the school basketball and football team.

Michelle Raines keeps Xavier Weir's room filled of childhood memorabilia, including multiple teddy bears. One of the bears the family has is programmed to play the sound of his heart beat. After his death, Weir's organs were donated to others in need.

His mother leaves it all packed up in remembrance of the life he lived. Her son played football and was recruited by Xavier University before his death. Last month, he would have turned 23.

Growing up, Raines said, she was outside playing with friends. Now, kids are texting each other from neighboring rooms.

“I wish we could just not have a phone,” she said.

Read the Axios Indianapolis story here.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Arika Herron is a reporter for Axios Indianapolis. You can reach her atArika.Herron@axios.com.

IPS taps company to run standalone special education program, starting year fully staffed

2025-08-29T14:46:23+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools is starting off a new school year fully staffed in its standalone special education program for the first time after contracting with a national behavioral health company.

The district’s ROOTS program, which IPS is rebranding this year as the Margaret McFarland Learning Academy, serves students with the most intensive needs.

The roughly $2 million agreement for the 2025-26 year with ChanceLight allows the district to lean on the company for one of its hardest-to-fill recruitment efforts: staff for special education settings.

The K-12 program is located in the old Margaret McFarland school on the south side of the district, along with Positive Supports Academy, a program for students in grades 7-12 who need additional behavioral support.

McFarland Learning Academy has 30 students so far this year.

Unified Student Supports Officer Cortnei Flucas said this is the first year the program has started the school year fully staffed.

“You can imagine when you are serving the most intensive students, finding people that have the right skill set, the willingness, the level of care and compassion — but also having an ability to meet their pay requirements — can be tough,” Flucas said. “These are challenges that we have faced.”

A high staff-to-student ratio is necessary at the academy, which has five classrooms with one teacher and two instructional assistants each. The program also has behavior specialists assigned to each classroom, as well as two social workers and a psychiatrist to provide oversight for students with medication.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Andrew J. Brown Academy charter school celebrates new life in old IPS Forest Manor Middle School

2025-08-28T19:49:51+00:00

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The former Forest Manor Middle School was once rich in resources: Two fountains flowed on either side of the building and the 5.5-acre campus featured a baseball field and a pool.

But by the time Indianapolis Public Schools sold the building in 2020, it was in dire need of a makeover: The roof was deteriorating. Groundwater was leaching up from the pool. And the fountains — which rested in ponds tucked on both sides of the property — no longer functioned.

On Wednesday, over 500 students occupied the once-shuttered building as officials with the Andrew J. Brown Academy charter school celebrated building renovations in their second year on the property.

“We turned the pool into a gym,” School Director Garrett Gammons told visitors as they walked in for a tour. “You’ve got to check it out.”

The building dedication is the latest chapter in the transformation of the school, which last month joined the Paramount Schools of Excellence network that operates seven other charter schools statewide.

Forest Manor Middle closed in the early 2000s and was later used for staff training. It also housed a small charter school until 2022-23. The building is roughly seven miles west of the location Andrew J. Brown operated in for decades.

The school’s change in location follows a split from the for-profit charter operator National Heritage Academies that had run the school since its inception in 2003. Last year, the academy board tapped Paramount, a nonprofit, to run the school instead. But the shift meant that the school needed to leave its Far Eastside building, which was owned by NHA. (NHA, which attempted to open a charter school in the same building, told Chalkbeat it no longer plans to submit an application for a school).

Paramount used a loan to purchase the building for $4.25 million, moving students into the space last school year while investing $6 million in upgrades. Now, the leaky pool is one of two new gyms, the roof is new, and the fountains outside are flowing.

“It’s just phenomenal that we get a chance to ignite the community with high standards for our kids, high standards for our families,” said Gammons, who as a child participated in an old Forest Manor baseball league and played football at the Wheeler Boys and Girls Club just two miles away. “We’re going to continue the tradition and the data-driven efforts of Paramount here at Andrew J. Brown, and it’s going to be amazing.”

New operator hopes to boost test scores, enrollment

The change in operators and location cost the school some students and staff. Andrew J. Brown lost 135 students — the biggest dip in recent years of declining enrollment — from 2023-24 to 2024-25, according to state enrollment records. Over 50 of those students went to the neighboring Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, according to a district presentation in November.

Now, Reddicks anticipates growing back up to a population of 600 students next year while slowly increasing test scores on the state’s IREAD and ILEARN exams that have remained largely stagnant.

Roughly 50% of Andrew J. Brown students are Black, with another 41% Hispanic, according to state enrollment records from last school year. A little over half of the students are English language learners.

Facility renovations will continue at the school, which doesn’t yet occupy the building’s second level and is only using some of the building’s 16 boilers. Reddicks said he hopes one day to find a high school interested in partnering with Paramount and sharing the site for a full K-12 experience.

As part of its merger with Paramount, Andrew J. Brown Academy — named after a local civil rights leader — will have two board members on Paramount’s board, one of which will be a permanent legacy member, Reddicks said.

Physical classrooms or books aren’t the only things that make Andrew J. Brown special, eighth-grader Ja’layah Jackson told the crowd at the ribbon-cutting.

“What really makes our school special is the great sense of family,” she said. “When you walk through the halls, you feel welcomed. You feel like you belong.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

After public pushback, Irvington Community Schools board chair steps down

2025-08-28T02:12:57+00:00

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The board chair of the Irvington Community Schools charter network resigned her position on Wednesday and a second board member was voted off the board.

The board’s vote to accept chair Rashay Foster’s resignation and remove another board member, Ashli Adams, follows a contentious start of the school year for Irvington Community Schools, which faced criticism from parents, students, and staff over a CEO search that included Foster as a candidate.

After a protest earlier this month, the board reopened the search for the CEO while still calling Foster a “qualified and dedicated educational leader” who applied for the position in good faith. The CEO will lead the charter network, which typically serves over 900 students in K-12 across three separate schools.

ICS staff told Chalkbeat they found out that Foster, the chair of the network’s board of governors, was a “top” candidate at a virtual meeting in the first few days of the school year. Students and staff said that was a conflict of interest. At the protest, they voiced concerns that Foster participated in a hiring process for a position for which she had applied and questioned her qualifications for the job. Staff also took issue that Adams, perceived as a close friend of Foster’s, would vote to decide the next CEO.

In a statement submitting her resignation, Foster nodded to her qualifications. She said she had a teacher’s license, passed an administrator’s exam, and had completed a master’s program in administration and a school management and leadership program at Harvard University.

“My belief in Irvington remains unwavering. My passion lives here, and my commitment to our students has not changed,” Foster said. “That commitment does not depend on holding the title of CEO or board chair.”

Foster said after the meeting that she would not reapply for the CEO position.

In public comment after her removal from the board, Adams said the ouster was an act of retaliation in part for reporting a sexual assault against her by a staff member.

She told Chalkbeat that she reported the assault in May to the board chair and later to the school’s legal counsel. The school’s attorney did not confirm the initial report by deadline.

Earlier this month, she said she also expressed concern to the board that students were encouraged by adults to spread misinformation to the board about the CEO search process.

“Once I brought up both of those concerns, I was asked to recuse myself from further discussion because I was too emotional,” she said. “And so I did recuse myself, because I didn’t want to become a conflict of interest that had been insinuated against me.”

In her statement read before the crowd, Adams said she was not part of the hiring committee, its deliberations or scoring, or who it selected as finalists.

“Legal counsel and our authorizer were consistently consulted by the board throughout the process,” she said. “It is both inaccurate and unfair to shift blame toward me for decisions I had no role in.”

In a statement sent through its attorney after the meeting, the board said that its decisions to remove Adams from the board was for governance reasons and not connected to her public allegation of sexual assault.

“That decision was made for governance reasons—including the Board’s need to preserve impartiality, avoid the appearance of impropriety in ongoing leadership decisions, and maintain effective Board function,” the statement said.

The board said the network is treating the matter as a report following her public disclosure, and that it “immediately initiated the steps necessary for a formal investigation.

“Because these issues involve confidential personnel matters, ICS will not be discussing details publicly while the investigation is underway,” the board said. “We ask our community to allow this process to proceed without speculation.”

Board adopts conflict of interest policy, adds new members

The board on Wednesday also adopted a conflict of interest policy that would prohibit members from being employed by the district while holding office. The policy also states that a current board member cannot apply for any open employment position unless they first resign their position on the board.

The remaining four board members also passed an anti-retaliation policy for board members and appointed three new members.

While charter schools are public schools, the governance of charter schools is left to the charter school organizer, and their boards can be appointed.

In public comment, staff members asked the board for more transparency on board meeting dates and decisions moving forward.

Milo Kaminski, a sophomore at Irvington Preparatory Academy, asked the entire board to step down.

“I currently do not think this board is the right fit for our schools,” Milo said. “They have proven that unless we bring attention to their actions and hold them responsible, they will act on their own like spoiled, unsupervised children.”

The board invited other community members interested in serving on the board to reach out.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Years after New Orleans ditched district schools for charters, will Indianapolis do the same?

2025-08-26T17:18:55+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools leaders made a tough decision in 2008 to close six underenrolled schools.

“Each of the selected schools serves far fewer students than the building’s capacity can accommodate,” the superintendent said at the time. “We simply can’t continue to operate this way.”

One school is now a senior living center. Another is a private school. And two of them are charter schools.

This is how the education landscape has transformed in Indianapolis. Since the creation of charter schools in 2001, IPS — which had already been losing students for decades — has had to compete with other public schools within its borders.

Today, that landscape does not look favorable for the district. There are roughly 49,000 students living within IPS borders who attend public schools or get private school vouchers. Just 38% of them attend schools run by IPS, according to state transfer data from the spring of this year. The district is projected to go into the red by 2028, unless voters approve another tax increase. As the overall pot of property tax revenue available to public schools shrinks, IPS is projected to lose millions in property taxes as charters gain new access to those dollars.

Earlier this year, a bill in the state legislature called for dismantling the district completely in favor of charters. Although that proposal didn’t get far, lawmakers did establish a task force that must submit recommendations about the district’s future to the GOP-run legislature, which fully embraces school choice. Most members of that task force, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, have ties to the charter sector.

These realities have revived an existential question that some have wondered for years: Is it inevitable that IPS will be completely replaced by charter schools?

Education experts and local observers say that kind of transformation — akin to what transpired in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina — isn’t inevitable. But it’s more likely than ever, due to statehouse politics, shaky finances, and declining enrollment that recently led IPS to hire a public relations firm to recruit students.

Indianapolis Public Schools has faced intense competition for students, especially in the wake of the pandemic.

The influential pro-charter Mind Trust nonprofit, for example, has not called for IPS to become all charter. But it says giving schools and educators more autonomy, among other changes, would help IPS avoid collapse.

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said in an interview that she doesn’t know what the future holds, but acknowledged that leaders must answer big questions.

“We are at a really critical juncture as Indianapolis Public Schools,” said Johnson, who is on the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, or ILEA. “And what do we mean by Indianapolis Public Schools? What do we desire for IPS to be?”

Key aspects of city public schools don’t look especially healthy regardless of who runs them. Across IPS-run schools and charters, test scores remain below the statewide average. One-third of charter schools have closed since 2001. IPS has closed at least 18 schools in that time, and many schools operate at well below their building capacity. And while IPS schools offer transportation, not every charter school can.

Although other outcomes are possible, Indianapolis may be one of several cities that are “slowly tipping towards becoming all-charter school systems,” said David Griffith, an associate director of research at the pro-charter Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

The challenging part, he said, is the period that Indianapolis is going through — the transformation.

“It may not be something that people want to say out loud necessarily,” Griffith said. But if the district continues to lose 3.7% of its students per year, Griffith said, “Then in 20, 25 years there will not be a district.”

ILEA weighs options for fractured education system

Although many charter schools have come and gone in Indianapolis, overall enrollment in charters has increased from roughly 3,000 students in 2005-06 to over 22,000 last school year. (That population includes those in IPS Innovation Network schools, the majority of which are charters.) Charters can get the green light to open by one of several authorizers.

Meanwhile, over that same time period, IPS has lost roughly 44% of students in the schools it runs directly, or over 16,000 kids, bringing enrollment to 21,055 at the start of last school year.

The future supply of students could dwindle even further: A 2020 demographic study commissioned by IPS predicted the student population would decline by anywhere from 152 to 478 students annually from 2025 to 2030.

Students already move freely to neighboring township school districts, and can also use private school vouchers in the state’s choice-friendly environment.

Figures from the city’s centralized enrollment system, Enroll Indy, indicate that Indianapolis had roughly 9,000 more seats than students enrolled in the 2024-25 school year in both IPS and charter schools. The majority of those — nearly 7,000 — were on the IPS side. And while excess seats can allow students to move to schools that may be a better fit for them, they can also spread resources such as teachers very thinly across schools.

That could mean more school closures for IPS, which has nearly one-third of its school buildings operating at less than 60% capacity, according to a review of state enrollment records and a building analysis the district conducted in 2020, the most recent available.

Perhaps 15 or 20 years from now, the system will have right-sized and IPS “will either have taken on a more efficient way of operating or given up,” said Paul Hill, founder of the Center on Reinventing Public Education. He said certain charter school operators may leave.

“But in the meantime, the transition is pretty nasty,” he said, “and a lot of kids are getting less than they might.”

Unlike New Orleans, Indianapolis education has changed slowly

New Orleans and Indianapolis carry the same historical problems that have plagued urban school districts nationwide: the flight of white students from the inner cities, the subsequent underenrollment of the school system, and high rates of poverty.

In Louisiana, Hurricane Katrina triggered the complete transformation of New Orleans Public Schools.

After the storm hit in 2005, the state’s Recovery School District took over most New Orleans schools and eventually converted them all into charters. In 2017, the state began returning those charter schools back to the control of the local school board, which had a few charter schools of its own.

Today, all but one school in New Orleans Public Schools are charters authorized by the school board. A few other charter schools in the city are authorized by the state.

By contrast, in Indianapolis the transformation of schools has been slow but steady.

Students walk the halls of Victory College Prep, one of the largest charter schools in Indianapolis, in 2023.

Democratic Mayor Bart Peterson helped usher the creation of charter schools into state law in 2001. In 2006, he helped found the Mind Trust to build school leaders and launch charter schools in the city.

In 2012, pro-charter political action committees and out-of-state donors began boosting the profile of school board races, starting an ongoing trend of giving tens of thousands to IPS school board candidates. And in 2014, IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee forged a deal with charter schools that resulted in the Innovation Network of autonomous schools. Most of them are charters.

Now, the district’s future could be in the hands of the ILEA, which includes Peterson, Johnson, and others with experience in education reform.

To traditional public school advocates like Alejandro Samaniego, there has long been an unspoken plan to turn Indianapolis into New Orleans — just without the natural disaster to spur it.

“We’re being kind of sold the school choice [model],” said Samaniego, an IPS parent and teacher who is the lead member organizer for the local teachers union. “And it is a process of convincing people that this is the correct model.”

But Peterson said he viewed charters as a way to avoid the bureaucracy of a large district that can impede individual schools’ success, and not as a way to achieve some “final, ideal state.”

“There might have been some people who thought, you know, eventually every school would be a charter school, period. End of discussion. IPS wouldn’t exist,” he said. “I never thought that way, and I don’t think most people thought that way.”

Students at Shortridge High School, an IPS high school, walk to class on the first day of school in August.

Parents affiliated with charter-supportive groups, such as Stand for Children Indiana and EmpowerED Families, say they see an opportunity to create a system where every school is great, regardless of type.

Many charter schools are also underperforming and have low enrollment, said Katrina Anderson, an education advocate at EmpowerED Families, whose daughter and granddaughter attended charter schools.

“I don’t think it would be all charter — it should not be,” she said of the district. “There’s IPS schools that are doing well, just like there are charter schools.”

There are models Indianapolis could follow other than the one in New Orleans — like that of Washington, D.C., where enrollment is split roughly evenly between charter schools and the district.

Becoming an all-charter school district is not the sole path to success, Johnson argued.

“You don’t actually have to have that be the outcome in order for schools to come together and say, ‘Actually, we’re going to all operate by X system, X policy,’” she said. “Everyone would have to be committed to doing that in service to a greater good.”

Some say IPS governance, charter authorizing should change

While Indianapolis might not evolve to mirror the top-down approach in post-Katrina New Orleans that relied exclusively on charters, the idea of unified control in key areas could have broad appeal.

For example, having a single governing body oversee schools based on one set of standards could support good schools and shut down bad ones if they don’t improve, regardless of school type. And having just one charter authorizer, instead of the several the city has now, could be a strong gatekeeper and ensure there aren’t too many or too few charters.

Advocates affiliated with Stand for Children Indiana recently pitched some of these solutions to the ILEA, such as an accountability framework by which to determine school closures.

Their plan calls for a new IPS board of elected and appointed members that also has the sole power to authorize charter schools.

Johnson told Chalkbeat she would be open to the board acting as the one authorizer — like in New Orleans — because “it would create a level of coherence we don’t have right now.”

Whether current authorizers would easily give up power over charter authorizing is another issue.

The unified policies in New Orleans for day-to-day life in schools could be a goal for Indianapolis schools as they evolve.

For example, although nearly all New Orleans public schools are still charters, the school board has established a universal discipline policy, and a single district office conducts things like expulsion hearings. Meanwhile, IPS has its own discipline policy, while charters and charter networks in Indianapolis can adopt their own.

But opinions are mixed on whether New Orleans is a good model for Indianapolis. While test scores and graduation rates have improved overall since the hurricane, the city still struggles with transportation costs and declining enrollment, according to a 2025 report from the Cowen Institute at Tulane University. Wealthier and white students enroll in the city’s higher-performing schools at a disproportionate rate.

The approach in New Orleans is designed to ensure equity across schools, said Carlos Luis Zervigón, the vice president of the Orleans Parish School Board, which oversees New Orleans schools.

“If they want to be like New Orleans, I’d say an elected body is responsible under a unified structure of governance under a guardrail of equity measures, to make sure everyone is playing by the same playbook in the interest of fairness to children,” Zervigón said. “No one gets left behind. No one gets different treatment.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools to sell a building, put another up for sale or lease to end legal battle

2025-08-25T15:06:26+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools will put one closed school building up for lease or sale to charter schools for $1 and will sell another to a local nonprofit, the district announced Friday.

The transfer of the buildings that used to house Raymond Brandes School 65 and Francis Bellamy School 102 stems from an Indiana Court of Appeals ruling in a lengthy battle over the state’s so-called $1 law, which requires districts to transfer unused school buildings to charter schools for the sale or lease price of $1. The court ruled in May that IPS must sell School 65.

The announcement also comes as the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance ponders how to solve facility challenges for both IPS, which continues to lose students in its traditional schools every year, and charters, which frequently struggle to acquire school buildings.

The district said in a statement that Damar Charter Academy, a school for students with developmental and behavioral challenges in Decatur Township, had reached out to IPS to express interest in School 65 — which is located on the southeast side of IPS. The district does not have the power to pick which charter school it will sell a building to — if more than one charter school is interested, state law requires a committee to decide.

On Monday, Damar confirmed to Chalkbeat that it is interested in School 65.

In the statement, the district said it would prefer to “move forward with disposition” of School 65 through a collaborative community process.

“But, we respect the court’s decision and will proceed in full compliance with that order,” IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said. “If the building is claimed by a charter school, we think Damar has a strong record of serving some of the most vulnerable and underserved students in our city and I have confidence that acquiring Raymond Brandes will allow them to expand their operations to serve even more students.”

Meanwhile, the district will sell School 102 to Voices, a nonprofit that works with youth, for $550,000. The district had already leased the school on the Far Eastside to Voices, which also shares the space with two other youth programs.

“Indianapolis Public Schools is committed to continuing to engage with our community on thoughtful re-use of our facilities and to being good stewards of our public assets,” Johnson said in a statement. “We are excited to move forward with our planned sale of the Francis Bellamy 102 building to VOICES and to see their impact in serving our community continue for many years into the future.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IREAD scores jump for IPS-run schools and charters, get close to pre-pandemic levels

2025-08-22T11:00:00+00:00

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Spanish flows easily between students during recess at Enlace Academy on the west side of Indianapolis.

The school has a large Spanish-speaking population, as well as students who speak other foreign languages. Here, the Haitian-Creole speaking population is roughly equivalent to the English-speaking population, school leaders say. In class, teachers sometimes flip between English and Spanish.

The charter school in the International Marketplace neighborhood has historically had a majority of English language learners as its student population. That made this year’s administration of the third-grade literacy test particularly stressful: Under state law, 2025 marked the first time students could be held back for failing to pass the IREAD exam. And at the time of the test, lawmakers hadn’t yet passed an extension on the retention requirement for certain schools that would ultimately give Enlace some relief.

Despite the odds, Enlace posted significant improvements on the test. The percentage of students passing the exam increased from 40.5% to 60%, while the share of English language learners who passed the test jumped from 38% to nearly 61%.

The results mirror trends across Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools in the district’s borders, the majority of which had higher IREAD pass rates over last year. The pass rate for IPS jumped about 10 percentage points from 59.8% to 69.8%. And the share of English learners in the district passing the IREAD rose from 42.4% to 56.7%. For independent charters and those in the IPS Innovation Network, the combined pass rate was about the same as in IPS at 70%.

The increase did not come out of nowhere. Pressured by the new retention law and a statewide requirement to adopt science-backed literacy curriculum, schools focused an infusion of funding on second- and third-grade literacy in the years following COVID. Lawmakers also tweaked the law to add more supports this year, required summer school for students who did not pass, and gave students up to five chances to pass the test — extra retakes that staff at Enlace say also helped.

After Enlace’s students took the IREAD, legislation passed in the spring that exempts schools from retention until 2027 if at least 50% of their third graders are English language learners. That exemption applies to 17 IPS and Indianapolis charter schools, including Enlace, and 38 statewide, according to an Indiana Department of Education memo.

Without the extension, roughly one-third of Enlace’s third graders would have been retained this year.

Enlace staff give the most credit to their students.

“They knew what the end goal was, and I think that really helped them,” said Enlace third grade master teacher Bailey Rager. “But also, they had a very good work ethic when it came to learning to love to read.”

IPS, charters schools post similar IREAD gains

Within the charter sector, independent charters posted a slightly higher overall pass rate at roughly 73%, compared with 66% for Innovation Network charters.

The latest improvements still leave the IPS and charter sector just below the pre-COVID proficiency rates of 2019.

The IREAD gains follow a number of early literacy initiatives that district and charter schools adopted in the years following COVID. They include overhauls to literacy curriculum, the Circle City Readers program that will operate at 10 schools this year, the Indy Summer Learning Labs that offered summer school at over 50 sites across Marion County this summer, and several tutoring programs that IPS has launched at certain schools.

The district’s largest tutoring initiative, led by Tutored by Teachers, paired second- and third-grade students at 19 IPS schools with virtual tutors multiple times a week for small group instruction.

IPS Chief Learning Officer Lela Simmons credited the jump to a variety of measures, including last year’s new literacy curriculum — Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts — that was paired with a K-2 phonics curriculum the district adopted in 2023. The district also created IREAD plans for students that did not pass.

“It’s really a very intentional daily effort with our kids and our families and our teachers to ensure that we are intentionally teaching these skills — and then assessing whether or not they’ve learned them in a very cyclical way,” Simmons said.

The district has since announced a $10.5 million investment from the Lilly Endowment that will be used to support reading proficiency in elementary schools over the next five years. The money includes continued funding for Tutored by Teachers, which will serve high-risk second- and third-graders across 23 schools in preparation for next year’s IREAD exam.

Struggling schools improve, as do students of color

Chronically underperforming schools also largely showed improvement in both the district and charter sector.

All eight of the district’s “restart schools” — chronically underperforming schools in the Innovation Network of autonomous schools through the IPS turnaround process — improved from last year. Nearly all of these schools also surpassed pre-pandemic levels of 2019, and all but one of them are charter schools.

Among the district-run chronically underperforming schools, known as “emerging schools,” all nine that enrolled third graders also improved their IREAD scores over last year. Four of those schools have reached or surpassed pre-COVID pass rates: Eleanor Skillen 34, James Whitcomb Riley School 43, Brookside School 54, and Charles Warren Fairbanks School 105.

Nearly all student subgroups in IPS saw improvement over last year, including double-digit percentage point increases for Hispanic, Black, and English learner students.

Within IPS, white students have exceeded pre-pandemic proficiency levels with a pass rate of 87.9%. Black students are just behind their 2019 rates at 65.7%, while Hispanic students still have not caught up to pre-pandemic levels of 67.6%.

Racial breakdowns for charter schools and the charter sector as a whole are less reliable because public-facing data for those racial subgroups are often suppressed for student privacy, due to the small number of students tested in those subgroups.

Enlace embraces extra funding for English language learners

Enlace Academy hit a post-COVID low in 2023 with an IREAD pass rate of 38.7%. Today, it’s in the fourth year of its literacy initiative that focuses on the science of reading and has also trained all K-3 staff in the Orton-Gillingham approach that features systematic lessons on phonics.

Students in grades K-3 were separated into phonics and small-group reading instruction every day. Extra funding from a $3.3 million federal grant paid for multilingual instructional assistants, a reading interventionist, and high-dosage tutoring. And the school partnered with the National Center for Family Learning to provide English classes for families.

All those changes were put to the test when students began taking the IREAD in March, before lawmakers gave schools like Enlace a two-year extension on the retention requirement until 2027.

“I’ve given IREAD so many times over so many years, but this year, I think our kids were really feeling the anxiety,” said Lauren Perkins, the K-8 reading specialist who helped craft the school’s literacy plan. “I could just really see it on their little faces on test day in March. Some of them had that throw-up look on their face.”

As the school prepares for 2027, another $338,000 from the Lilly Endowment will help maintain some of the school’s literacy efforts. Staff will also focus on making sure kindergartners and first graders are on grade level.

“I think what fuels us every day is we’re looking at the whole picture,” said school leader Stephanie Campos.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

As ILEA discusses facilities, community members call for unification of IPS, charters under one board

2025-08-21T03:38:38+00:00

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Community members urged the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to share data on school facilities as the state-mandated alliance pondered questions surrounding building capacity and efficiency on Wednesday.

The 103 public schools within the borders of Indianapolis Public Schools operate with a variety of different building arrangements that pose a complex challenge for the state-mandated group tasked with solving for inefficiencies across IPS and the charter sector.

Some charters that are part of the IPS Innovation Network of autonomous schools operate in IPS buildings at no cost — an in-kind service that, combined with security services, the district estimated at $38 million in 2023-24, according to a report compiled by the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation. Other charters lease space, while others are co-located with another public school. Some charters have purchased their buildings, with remaining long-term debt ranging up to $22.9 million across multiple schools in the same charter network.

The findings on facility challenges for charter schools, laid out in a report submitted to the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance this week, will guide the ILEA as it considers recommendations to make to state lawmakers about the future of the city’s public schools.

At the meeting Wednesday, the group heard from IPS and charter partners about building usage as members questioned how to maximize efficiency.

Former mayor Bart Peterson, a member of the alliance, said the group must decide how to proceed with a shrinking pot of public funding.

“We are going to have to ... place efficiency pretty high on the priority list, given the environment that every public school in Marion County is going to be facing,” he said.

In public comment at the meeting, education advocates affiliated with Stand for Children Indiana — a nonprofit that has been supportive of charter schools — delivered a plan that calls for a data-driven accountability framework for all schools and the unification of all public schools under one governing board with both elected and appointed members.

“If we want to eliminate barriers, we can’t keep dividing students into separate systems,” Bony Georges, an IPS teacher who worked on the proposed plan, told the group. “The debate over charter versus traditional schools is the wrong debate. We need one public education system in Indianapolis that works for every child in every neighborhood.”

Parents affiliated with the IPS Parent Council, which has advocated strongly for traditional IPS schools, reaffirmed their call for a moratorium on new schools through 2035.

“The current system of competition and choice in schooling damages the fabric of our communities, creating a devastating dynamic where parents are pitted against each other, scrambling for increasingly scarce resources rather than uniting for a common good,” parent Katherine Harkov told the group.

With facility challenges for charters, facility costs vary

The city’s Innovation Network model and its embrace of school choice has produced a variety of different building arrangements and capacities. The OEI report included building arrangements as well as enrollment and capacity figures for charter schools.

Of the district’s 30 Innovation schools, 13 are in an IPS building, with and two are co-located in an existing IPS school, Deputy Superintendent Andrew Strope told the group Wednesday.

But beyond its partnerships with IPS, charters face a daunting challenge in trying to acquire buildings.

Different building arrangements have pros and cons, according to the OEI report. Ownership providers long-term stability, but limited access to revenue sources such as property taxes can lead to higher borrowing costs.

While leasing offers lower initial costs, it can lead to higher long-term expenditures, according to the report. And while schools operating in IPS buildings can benefit from reduced upfront costs, they have less autonomy over the buildings and less long-term security if the district does not renew legal contracts with the charter.

Charter schools that occupy IPS buildings as part of the district’s Innovation Network of autonomous schools do so at no cost. But among Innovation charters, they bore the highest average building cost per pupil at $4,476 in 2023-24, according to the OEI report.

Charters that leased their own buildings had a higher average per-pupil facility cost than those that owned them, paying $3,619 per student compared to $1,672.

Independent charters posted a lower average per-pupil building cost, with those leasing buildings paying $1,157 per student and those that owned buildings at $1,047.

Charter schools provided Enroll Indy, the city’s centralized enrollment system, with a program capacity of roughly 25,000 total seats for the 2024-25 school year, according to the report. They enrolled roughly 22,000 students.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said she hopes the ILEA recommends the repeal of the state law that requires the district to sell unused school buildings to charter schools for $1. That law only holds traditional public schools accountable for utilization rates, she said, and does not consider utilization rates for charters.

Johnson said the group must consider whether it recommends all schools operate in a way that maximizes resources — such as facility space — or whether it recommends giving schools flexibility that may let them operate in a building that is bigger than needed.

“We have to be clear on what is it that we desire to be true,” Johnson said. “That will drive how we come up with our solutions.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to host more public meetings this year

2025-08-19T20:02:54+00:00

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The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance will host at least four more public meetings in addition to the three that were previously announced, including Wednesday’s meeting at Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School.

The nine-member group established by the state legislature must recommend how to improve efficiencies across both Indianapolis Public Schools and the many charters in its borders. The group will suggest plans for facility and transportation usage across school types, and could suggest new governance models for the city’s fractured education landscape. It could also recommend school closures.

The group is exempt from the state’s Open Door Law that requires government entities to hold meetings in public. However, the group must publicly vote on the final plan it submits to lawmakers. Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office initially announced three public meetings earlier this year.

The mayor’s Office of Education Innovation confirmed four other tentative meetings on the group’s website will be public, but it’s unclear when the group may hold closed-door discussions and how often.

The remaining meetings on the schedule that the group has confirmed will be public are set for 6 p.m. for the following tentative dates, with locations shared closer to the date:

Sep. 24, 2025.
Oct. 22, 2025.
Nov. 19, 2025.
Dec. 17, 2025.

The group’s Wednesday meeting at Emma Donnan will also take place at 6 p.m. The group has met two times so far. At its last meeting in July, it faced calls from the public for a moratorium on charter schools and heard from charter school leaders who want to buy IPS school buildings that they already occupy.

Those who would like to give in-person or online public comment and sign up to do so using this form. Comments may be submitted starting at noon two business days before each meeting and must be submitted by noon on the day of each meeting. Speakers are limited to three minutes per person.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance must submit its recommendations to the state legislature by the end of the year.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Meet the 9 people who could guide the future of public schools in Indianapolis

2025-08-14T11:00:00+00:00

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The nine members of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance have a big task over the next four months: recommend how to transform city public schools.

The education landscape includes not just Indianapolis Public Schools, but also nearly 60 charters, which have different authorizers and operate under their own school boards. Some charters have partnerships with the district through its Innovation Network, and others don’t.

But not all of these schools offer transportation or have adequate facilities. Not all schools have the resources to teach students with disabilities who have serious needs, or those who are English language learners. And many schools struggle to enroll enough students to stay afloat.

In response, the alliance — which state lawmakers established this year to make non-binding recommendations — must craft a plan that reduces inefficiencies by addressing facility and transportation needs for all schools. It also must make recommendations on school closures, special education policies, and what kind of governing body should oversee city schools.

State law requires the mayor and the IPS superintendent to serve on the board, while giving the mayor four appointees and the district three. Most members have worked in the charter sector or have connections to the local Mind Trust nonprofit, an influential group that has helped launch many Indianapolis charter schools.

In July, the mayor’s office announced former IPS school board president Michael O’Connor as project manager for the group. O’Connor, a principal consultant with Bose Public Affairs Group, was elected to the board in 2016 with backing from the Indy Chamber that has historically supported reforming the district.

Chalkbeat reached out to all nine members to speak about their work, and six agreed to interviews. Below are key facts on each member’s history.

Tina Ahlgren, superintendent appointee

Tina Ahlgren has been an IPS teacher for over two decades and has served as the bargaining chair for the Indianapolis Education Association for 10 years. Her son attends Harshman Middle School.

Although appointed as a parent representative, Ahgren could serve as a union voice on the alliance — something the IEA pushed for when lawmakers created the alliance. Ahlgren is a staunch defender of traditional public schools, but acknowledges that kids are thriving and struggling in every school type.

She worries about students falling through the cracks of a predominantly charter system that might not be able to serve certain students, like those with disabilities.

“The challenge with the full choice model is it’s kind of this idea of everyone out for themselves versus someone looking out for the big picture,” she said. “That’s kind of the role that IPS has served.”

Barato Britt, IPS board president appointee

Barato Britt, the CEO of the Edna Martin Christian Center, has experience in the charter school sector dating to the early 2000s, when he served on the board of Irvington Community Schools. He now serves on the board of KIPP Indy Public Schools, which runs three Innovation Network schools in Martindale-Brightwood and values its collaboration with IPS.

Britt, whose son attended Merle Sidener Academy for High Ability Students, said he believes the city will need to close schools. He understands those who want the creation of strong school choice options, but cautioned that the city can’t just plan “innovation for innovation’s sake.”

“Let me invest in practices that are actually showing some real merit,” he said. “I don’t think this is an unreasonable request.”

Mayor Joe Hogsett, chair

The majority of Indianapolis charter schools are authorized by the nine-member Indianapolis Charter School Board, six of whom are appointed by the mayor. Hogsett’s Office of Education Innovation also renews or revokes charters for those schools.

Hogsett’s office did not make the mayor available for an interview.

In a statement, Hogsett said the work before ILEA is in the service of strengthening Indianapolis Public Schools.

“We have complicated discussions ahead about topics such as school finance and how schools address transportation and facility management,” Hogsett said.

It’s unclear whether Hogsett, who has faced calls to resign amid a sexual harassment scandal, will seek a fourth term as mayor when his current term expires in 2027.

At the outset of his third term in 2024, he pledged to improve education in Indianapolis. Although he never unveiled a comprehensive education plan, his office launched a literacy tutoring program in traditional public and charter schools that has grown to 11 schools this year.

In December, he told Fox59 that state lawmakers need to consider the complex education landscape in Indianapolis and across Marion County, which encompasses 11 different school districts and superintendents.

“There’s a lot of duplication and redundancy that I think could be consolidated effectively,” he said.

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson

Johnson began her teaching career in New Jersey as part of Teach for America, but returned to her home state of Indiana to become a founding teacher at the KIPP Indy middle school.

Before becoming IPS superintendent in 2019, Johnson helped usher in many of the Innovation Network’s schools as the district’s innovation officer.

Johnson has emphasized that potential solutions from the ILEA — such as closing schools, or establishing some sort of academic accountability measure — need to be applied across both charter and traditional schools.

A significant challenge, she said, is navigating a school system that features a high level of flexibility at the individual school level.

“If we are now saying, ‘Well, we need a systems solution across the board,’ then that necessitates some level of restriction to that decision-making authority and flexibility,” she said.

Maggie Lewis, mayoral appointee

Maggie Lewis is the Democratic majority leader of the City-County Council and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis. She’s also on the board of directors for the Mind Trust.

A spokesperson for Lewis did not make her available for an interview.

In 2013, Lewis chaired a 16-member committee with Republican businessman Al Hubbard to examine solutions to reuse excess space in IPS buildings and expand preschool.

During the past legislative session, Lewis joined former mayor Bart Peterson and others in calling on IPS to share more of its property tax funding with charter schools. She also expressed support for the Girls IN Stem Academy charter school that faced staunch public opposition to its opening in Washington Township last year.

In 2023, she co-wrote an Indianapolis Star op-ed with other councilors and school board members that affirmed the need to fill teaching vacancies and expand mental health supports “so we spend less time discussing district vs. charter schools and more time expanding supports that are working for our children.”

Tobin McClamroch, mayoral appointee

Tobin McClamroch is a partner at the Dentons Bingham Greenebaum law firm that frequently lobbies at the statehouse, including for private school choice.

McClamroch also has years of experience lobbying for charter school operators.

He served on the City-County Council in the 1990s and leads the board of trustees at Marian University, which has received support from the Mind Trust nonprofit for various education initiatives.

McClamroch said it’s important to have accountability for both traditional public and charter schools, and that the legislature should help define it. He also expressed concern for a school district that relies on voter-approved tax increases.

“It’s very important that we consider the taxpayers and what’s sustainable for the taxpayers in the IPS school district,” he said.

McClamroch said the group also must consider a governance model for the city’s schools, calling it a “major issue” for the ILEA.

Andrew Neal, superintendent appointee

Andrew Neal is the father of three children at Herron Preparatory Academy, an Innovation Network charter school.

He leads Outreach, a nonprofit that serves people ages 14-24 who are experiencing homelessness and works in many local IPS and charter high schools.

Neal said he’s not very politically involved. But part of his goal, he said, is to “provoke these conversations that should’ve been happening over the course of years now.”

Neal sees pros and cons to having just one charter school authorizer, and believes the concept of one authority to oversee all buildings is an interesting concept to consider.

“If you had some sort of hybrid governance board and you were able to consolidate authorizers, could you also empower that board with maybe the potential to do system-wide coordination between enrollment and facilities and transportation and data?” he said. “I think potentially that could be an option.”

Bart Peterson, mayoral appointee

Former Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson helped create the city’s charter school landscape after assuming office in 2000.

When state law gave the mayor the power to authorize charters, Peterson created the Indianapolis Charter School Board to review applications and make recommendations, he said. He also included the City-County Council in charter decisions.

In 2006, Peterson also co-founded the nonprofit Mind Trust. He later served as CEO of Christel House International, which runs four charter schools in Indianapolis as well as international schools.

Peterson previously led the Hoosiers for Great Public Schools political action committee, which last year gave over $160,000 to Republican candidates for state office. State finance records show the PAC has raised $1.6 million from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and billionaire John Arnold, both supporters of charter schools.

He said there are too many charter authorizers, and noted that the alliance will have to consider a governance structure. Over the past few years, he said, he’s noticed the growth in charters, their closures, and the lack of coordination around their location and how they would interact with the IPS schools in the same area.

“We have ended up with a situation where there’s no single kind of mind or authority thinking about all this,” he said. “It has gotten to a point where it needs that.”

Still, Peterson favors competition, and said the introduction of charter schools is part of the reason IPS is a lot better today than it used to be.

“We are actually providing a lot of things that the one-size-fits-all IPS district of 2002 wasn’t doing,” he said. “As a result, I think we are providing, overall, a far better education in IPS and outside of IPS in the public sector than we did 20-plus years ago.”

Angela Smith-Jones, mayoral appointee

Angela Smith-Jones is associate vice president for state relations at Indiana University, and previously served as deputy mayor for economic development during Hogsett’s first term.

She did not respond to requests for an interview.

Smith-Jones has also served as director of public policy for the Indy Chamber, which can hold significant sway over the district’s decisions and embraced the district’s move toward autonomous Innovation schools in 2016.

When Mayor Greg Ballard shut down the Project School charter school in 2012, he tapped Smith-Jones to help families find new schools, the Indianapolis Star reported at the time.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Irvington Community Schools charter network restarts CEO search after staff absences, public protest

2025-08-13T18:11:41+00:00

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Irvington Community Schools will restart its search for a new CEO after pushback from staff, students, and parents over a hiring process that included the network’s board chair as a top candidate.

The decision announced by the charter network’s board of governors on Wednesday follows a rocky return to school for ICS, which typically serves over 900 students at three separate elementary, middle, and high school campuses on the eastside of Indianapolis. Former CEO Häns Lassiter resigned from the position in February, although a message to parents from the board chair did not explain why.

ICS staff say the board hosted a virtual meeting Aug. 4 in which Rashay Foster, chair of the network’s board of governors, was presented as a “top” candidate for the CEO job. In response, staff at the high school called out sick en masse before a public meeting of the board on Aug. 8, which was later canceled. The call-outs forced students into a virtual learning day, and drew parents’ attention to a search that some of them did not know much about.

“The concerning thing is that we don’t know what’s going on,” parent Shannon Abbott said on Friday, when she was trying to figure out why in-person learning was canceled. “As a parent, I feel like I should know what’s happening in my child’s school system. We were promised transparency, and there has been a great lack of transparency in this entire process.”

Dozens of students, staff, and parents gathered outside Irvington Preparatory Academy, the network’s high school, on Tuesday to demand a different CEO, citing staff concerns that Foster participated in the hiring process for a position for which she had also applied. The board also met in a closed-door session Tuesday to discuss the network’s leadership plan.

Staff and students at Tuesday’s protest also expressed concerns with Foster’s qualifications for the job.

Foster has previously served as a teacher and a literacy coach and consultant, and is listed as a manager for The New Teacher Project Teaching Fellows program in Indianapolis. Staff told Chalkbeat they desire a candidate with experience as an administrator.

A day after the protest, the board said in a statement that it was reopening the search for a new CEO. It acknowledged that school leadership must be supported by ICS in order to be successful.

At the same time, the board’s Wednesday statement also called Foster a “qualified and dedicated educational leader” who applied for the position in good faith and participated in a thorough interview process just like other highly ranked candidates.

The board’s statement did not lay out a timeline for the next steps of the search process. It also did not indicate whether Foster participated in the hiring process for other candidates.

Foster did not respond to multiple attempts to reach her for comment.

“I feel like with what’s happening, you’re just kind of ruining the essence of what the school is and not listening to the people who matter at the school, which are the teachers,” senior Oliver Lutzke said at the protest Tuesday. “And those teachers aren’t really being heard.”

Parents also questioned whether the hiring process was ethical.

“How are we teaching children, especially this age group, to grow up to be adults without teaching them integrity?” parent Danielle Beam said during the protest. “This is unethical, what they are doing. How they are handling it is wrong.”

But the board said its members are “deeply concerned” about the tone and content of recent public and social media commentary regarding Foster.

“While healthy discussion about school leadership is important, certain statements have crossed the line into personal attacks and unfounded allegations, including claims that are not supported by fact,” the board said. “This kind of rhetoric undermines not only the integrity of our process, but also the example we set for our students.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

First day of school in Indianapolis showcases evolution of student transportation

2025-08-04T18:08:56+00:00

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On her first day of third grade Monday, Aravis Flora waited for her yellow Indianapolis Public Schools bus sporting a scrunchie decorated with school buses and stop signs.

Her mother, Vanessa Flora, had glanced at her phone minutes earlier to check when a different IPS bus would arrive in their Fletcher Place neighborhood to pick up her middle child Emmett, who was starting seventh grade. She gave him an update on its estimated arrival time as he ate breakfast.

Vanessa Flora takes a photo of her three children, Elias, Emmett, and Aravis, on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, the first day of school in Indianapolis.

But it was Elias, her oldest child who was starting junior year at Shortridge High School, who got out the door first. He took the city’s public transportation system. He walked about five minutes to the nearest IndyGo bus stop on the Red Line.

His classmate Darrick Colon gets off at the same Red Line stop by Shortridge, but his path to get there is different. As he rides the IndyGo 8 bus across the White River to get to the Red Line, he sees downtown businesses and the Indianapolis Zoo waking up. Despite a brief delay, he got to school before the 9 a.m. bell.

One mile up the road from Shortridge, some students arriving at Believe Circle City High School this week have the option of using the charter school’s bus service.

Thousands of Indianapolis students are returning to school this week, but how they get there can vary greatly. That’s one outcome of the evolving education environment in Indianapolis. On the one hand, there’s the traditional IPS district. On the other are nearly 60 charter schools spread out within or near the district borders.

Elias Flora walks to the IndyGo city bus on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.

A new state-mandated group, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, is tasked with addressing an unequal environment in which IPS schools offer transportation, but not all charter schools can afford to do so. As the group ponders solutions, current partnerships could offer some ideas for the group to scale up.

On his commute, Elias reflected on the prospects of junior year — the hardest year, he admitted.

“I should be able to work through everything,” he said. “All I need to worry about is keeping up with the work load.”

Elias Flora rides the city bus on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. Elias is a junior this year, and he said it'll be the hardest year.

Existing transportation partnerships could inform ILEA’s proposals

This year, more than 1,400 IPS high school students will ride IndyGo through a partnership that began with a pilot program in 2018. Over 19,000 students will ride the yellow school bus service that the district pays First Student for.

IPS estimates spending roughly $2,300 per student for transportation annually.

Elias Flora waits for the city bus on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.

In the charter sector, the transportation picture is less straightforward. Some charters in the district’s Innovation Network receive transportation from the district at no charge. Other independent charter schools contract for their own yellow bus service — but at prices that can be steep for a smaller school entity. And some even run their own passenger van bus service and hire drivers.

But this year, the Rooted School and IPS have teamed up to give kids a way to and from school.

The independent charter school on the eastside that starts classes on Wednesday will partner with IPS this year to bring First Student transportation to 200 students at a lower cost than what it would pay for under its own contract with the company. It’s the charter’s latest attempt to solve the challenge. Previously, it operated its own 14-passenger van and contracted through a different company.

Shortridge High School students get off the bus for the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025 in Indianapolis.

To school founder Ma’at Lands, the partnership is a perfect example of picking collaboration over competition.

Some of the school’s students have siblings who attend Sankofa School of Success at Arlington Woods 99, an IPS Innovation Network school that is just across the street. The new arrangement will remove a barrier for families with students attending multiple schools in the neighborhood, Lands said.

But making the partnership work also means adopting flexible schedules. Rooted School is moving its start time an hour earlier this year to 7:30 a.m. so that the buses can shift to serving IPS students afterward, Lands said.

“Now, being up under IPS ... we have this cost savings,” Lands said. “They just have a robust transportation department that really is just not a heavy lift on our school.”

Other charter school leaders are trying to collaborate with each other.

The recent merger of Ace Preparatory Academy with Circle City Prep allows the schools to provide transportation to older siblings who have been dropped off by families at Ace Prep, a K-6 school, and are continuing their education at Circle City, a K-8 school.

The solution helps Ace Prep become an option for families with multiple students looking for a more streamlined K-8 experience.

When IPS broke up its K-8 schools last year, Circle City Prep received a lot of families who still wanted to have their elementary and middle school child at the same school, Circle City Prep founder Megan Murphy told Chalkbeat in May after her school merged with Ace Prep.

“Now at Ace Prep, yes they won’t have the eighth grade there, but you can have one site in which your kids are going to second grade and eighth grade, and we provide that transportation to the eighth grader,” Murphy said. “I think it helps a little bit to make a one-stop shop for families.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Charter leaders want IPS to transfer building ownership to their schools

2025-07-24T02:37:29+00:00

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Charter school leaders running schools in Indianapolis Public Schools facilities say transferring or selling the buildings to them could save the district over $37.5 million annually.

Yet supporters of traditional public schools say the district must be allowed to charge charter operators the full cost of services the district provides to charters in its Innovation Network, such as the opportunity to operate in IPS buildings.

The requests are some of many that the nine members of the state-mandated Indianapolis Local Education Alliance must contend with as it works to submit recommendations on transportation and facility usage to city, state, and district leaders by the end of the year. The requests came during the ILEA’s second public meeting on Wednesday.

Leaders for 20 of the 25 charter schools in the district’s Innovation Network — and one Innovation school that just won approval to become a charter school — floated the building transfer idea to the ILEA in a letter submitted as public comment.

The alliance, which is tasked with reducing inefficiencies across the multiple traditional and charter schools in IPS borders, should consider this option as it brainstorms future facility plans, the letter said. The ownership change would give school leaders complete control to make decisions about the buildings they occupy, the leaders said.

“We know that there is a moment of urgency for our city and for the decisions that the ILEA needs to make,” Eddie Rangel, CEO of Adelante Schools, which operates in Emma Donnan, told Chalkbeat ahead of the meeting. “And we want to be good stewards of what needs to happen for the facility at Emma Donnan.”

Innovation schools are independently run but contract with the district for services such as custodial and transportation. Some services — such as rent and transportation — are offered to Innovation schools at no cost, while others may come with a charge. Most of the district’s 30 Innovation schools are charters. A law passed last year restricted how much IPS could charge Innovation schools for services.

Earlier this month, the IPS Parent Council — formed as IPS faced existential threats in the most recent legislative session — called for IPS to charge charter schools the full cost of operating in an IPS school.

The group also called for a repeal of the $1 law that requires IPS to sell vacant school buildings to charters for $1. Instead, the district must “regain full authority” to lease or sell buildings at market value, the group urged.

Accountability system crucial to future decisions, some say

At its second public meeting on Wednesday, ILEA members reviewed school enrollment and property tax data, focusing in part on how schools are funded and implications that the state’s latest tax reforms could have on schools.

Beyond facilities and funding, several public commenters called for a universal accountability system by which to determine whether to close underperforming schools regardless of type.

Virginia Ramos told the alliance during public comment that her grandson was failed by both IPS and charter schools.

As a teacher, she said, one of the most important things to be recommended is an accountability system that looks not only at state test scores, but teacher retention rates, teacher credentials, attendance rates before and after count day, suspension rates, and the achievements of English as a second language and special education students.

“It’s not until we hold all those things, all those data points, can you have a complete picture of how schools are doing,” she said.

Charter leaders cite Innovation contracts in bid for building ownership

The letter from charter leaders referenced a clause in some Innovation contracts for the schools represented in the letter. The clause indicates the district could be open to selling or transferring the buildings to the operators in the future, and states that by the end of this year, the district will develop criteria that the operator must meet to be eligible to own the building. The letter did not address how much, if anything, charters would pay for the buildings.

“For those of us ready to pursue this option, owning facilities presents exciting opportunities for our school communities,” the letter said. “Having complete control over the space where our educators teach, students learn, and families connect would benefit both the district and the city as a whole.”

Rangel said the leaders estimated $37.5 million in cost savings to the district across all of their schools based on district cost estimates for running those buildings.

At Adelante, Rangel said, owning the building would allow the school to expand its fine arts programming by building a stage.

Another option, the leaders said, could be using the facility authority created as a three-year pilot program under newly enacted state law. The authority, a seven-member board, was written into the same bill that created the ILEA, giving other school districts the option to participate in a pilot program. The pilot would make the authority responsible for overseeing and managing school facilities.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, who is also an ILEA member, said after the ILEA meeting that the district has engaged with a couple of schools that have expressed interest in ownership but is examining whether all the signatories to the letter would like to acquire their buildings or would be supportive of an independent authority.

It’s unclear how or whether the charter schools could afford to pay for those services on their own. Rangel said charter leaders have been discussing the potential of individual schools to band together to purchase services.

The leaders also asked that future facilities assessments be conducted by experts “who understand the unique education landscape in our city” and called for that report to be made public.

Four Innovation charter schools operating as the only school in IPS buildings — Global Prep, Matchbook Learning, KIPP Indy, and Phalen Leadership Academy at Francis Scott Key 103 — operated at over 100% capacity for the 2024-25 school year, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of state enrollment data and the target capacity of IPS buildings provided in a building assessment that the district commissioned in 2020.

Across all IPS buildings that are still operating as schools, 17 of 57 buildings are operating at below the district average of 60% capacity, according to the data. That includes a few Innovation charters, including Liberty Grove Schools, Phalen Leadership Academy at Louis B. Russell School 48, and Adelante Schools at Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School.

Parent council calls for limitations to charters

Parents with the IPS Parent Council also called for the group to consider a moratorium on all new charter schools through 2035.

“This pause will allow time to assess long-term needs and avoid unnecessary school closures that … disrupt families and communities,” said Anh Nguyen, a parent of two IPS students.

The request is more stringent than a state law legislators passed this year that only allows the mayor’s office to open new charter schools through the rest of 2025.

The group’s petition calls for Innovation and charter schools to employ licensed staff, offer school counselors, and provide transportation and uniform assistance in order to partner with IPS and share its resources. State law requires at least 90% of a charter school’s teaching workforce to be licensed or in the process of obtaining a teacher’s license.

The group also wants all Innovation contracts to be limited to a five-year renewal limit to “ensure safeguards to guarantee accountability.”

The next public meeting of the ILEA is August 20 at the City-County Building.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

ILEARN scores improve slightly for Indianapolis Public Schools, charters

2025-07-23T11:00:00+00:00

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Morrise Harbour has a tough assignment: turn around a chronically underperforming Indianapolis school.

When he took over in 2022, just 4% of the students at Elder Diggs School 42 achieved proficiency in English on the state ILEARN test, and just 4.3% did so in math.

Harbour, the founder of the Liberty Grove Schools, the charter school that assumed control of School 42 from Indianapolis Public Schools, began making changes slowly and steadily. It hired new staff. It adopted a trusted curriculum. It leaned into 1-on-1 instruction whenever possible.

Although the school’s proficiency scores remain relatively low, those moves appear to be producing results. This year, School 42’s ILEARN results improved for the second year in a row, with 12.1% of students reaching proficiency in English, 8.3% in math, and 4.5% in both. In fact, it’s one of several “restart” charter schools where ILEARN results improved from last year and where those scores have now surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

At these schools, a charter operator agrees to take charge of a chronically underperforming school and operates it as part of the IPS Innovation Network, in which schools get some autonomy and access to district resources.

“There’s been peaks and valleys, but a lot more highlights than lowlights over the course of these first foundational years,” Harbour said.

Overall, 2025 ILEARN results mostly remained flat or increased slightly — depending on the subject — in schools IPS runs directly, charters in the Innovation Network, and independent charters. (Innovation schools that are not charters are included in the IPS direct-run figures.)

In the schools IPS manages directly, the English proficiency rate districtwide remained essentially unchanged from last year at 20.8%, while the overall math proficiency rate increased from 19.3% to 21%, according to state data. And the percentage of students achieving proficiency in both subjects inched up from 13.5% to 14.3%. Measuring individual school success from last year is challenging, however, since the district’s decision to reconfigure grade spans at nearly all schools in the 2024-25 school year makes year-over-year comparisons imprecise.

The percentage of Black and Hispanic students in IPS-run schools reaching proficiency in both math and English increased from last year, but have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels from 2019. White students, meanwhile, continue to grow beyond pre-pandemic levels.

The latest scores for IPS still fall short of the ambitious goals set forth in its Strategic Plan 2025, which was released about five years ago and called for IPS to match the state average for ILEARN performance by this year. The district’s proficiency rates this year were below the state average IPS aimed for when the plan was crafted, as well as this year’s averages — about 41% for English, 42% in math, and 31% in both subjects.

Independent charters as a whole continued to exceed district scores for all students, with higher rates of Black and Hispanic students reaching proficiency in both subjects than those in directly run IPS schools, according to a Chalkbet analysis of state data. Nearly 16% of both Black and Hispanic students in independent charters reached proficiency in both subjects, compared to roughly 6% of Black students in IPS and 8% of Hispanic students in IPS.

Charter schools in the Innovation Network still fell below district scores overall, according to Chalkbeat’s analysis, although its students’ English and math proficiency both increased from last year.

Here are a few other takeaways from the 2025 ILEARN results.

Results suggest middle school is a challenge

The ILEARN results for IPS provide a baseline for the district’s most recent Rebuilding Stronger reorganization, which dropped middle grades from existing K-8 schools to create standalone middle schools in 2024-25.

Scores at individual schools, nearly all of which changed grade spans and many of which adopted new academic programming, were a mixed bag.

Harshman Middle School and George Julian School 57 showed the greatest year-over-year growth out of all directly run IPS schools in terms of the percentage of students reaching proficiency in both English and math. Harshman added 6th grade and became a dual language and high ability school, while School 57 dropped grades 6-8 and became an International Baccalaureate school.

District-run schools with the largest decline in the percentage of students scoring proficient in both subjects include George Washington Carver School 87, which dropped grades 6-8, and William Penn Middle School, which became a standalone middle school focused on science, technology, engineering, and math.

In a statement, the district highlighted Harshman, the Center for Inquiry at School 2, Cold Spring School, and George Julian School 47 as schools with consistent yearly increases in math since 2021.

“These results demonstrate a positive trajectory for many of our students and schools, even as we’ve navigated significant district redesign over the past two years,” Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said in the statement.

Harshman had the highest proficiency scores among middle schools and beat the districtwide average in English, math, and both subjects combined.

Proficiency rates at all other district-run middle schools fell below the districtwide average in English, math, and both subjects combined. English proficiency also declined from last year in each of the middle school grades.

There are few standalone charter middle schools. Those primarily serving grades 6-8, however, posted single-digit rates in the percentage of students scoring proficient in both subjects with the exception of Paramount Englewood, a school serving grades 5-8 with a rate of 32.5%.

Charter schools increase in math proficiency

Among 26 independent charters, English proficiency declined slightly from roughly 26.1% last year to 25.6% this year, according to state data.

Like state and districtwide results, however, math scores increased for this group from roughly 25% to 26.6%.

The share of students reaching proficiency in both subjects in independent charters has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels from 2019 — although comparisons are difficult because schools have closed and opened during that time. Schools with the biggest increases in dual proficiency since last year include the Rooted School on the eastside, which jumped from 1.9% to 10.6%, and Paramount Englewood, which increased from 25.8% to 32.5%.

Innovation charter schools increased slightly in both subjects, from 14.8% to 16.8% in English and from 13.3% to 17.5% in math.

This cohort, which changes as different operators are added to or removed from the network each year, exceeded 2019 levels of the share of students reaching proficiency in both subjects. Innovation charters with the greatest increases in dual proficiency since last year include Enlace Academy on the west side and Adelante Schools on the south side.

Most ‘restart’ and ‘emerging’ schools surpass pre-COVID scores

The new ILEARN results also show some promising signs about those schools, such as School 42, labeled as chronically underperforming by the district.

For example, seven of the eight restart schools grew in the share of students reaching proficiency in both English and math since last year, with six of them exceeding pre-pandemic levels from 2019. A seventh restart charter school (that combined two schools into one), Adelante Schools at Emma Donnan, increased in dual proficiency over last year, with 16.5% of students proficient, compared to 5% in its first year of operation.

Results for schools designated by the district as “emerging” in 2020-21 — those that are chronically underperforming – are mixed. Of the remaining 11 schools designated as “emerging” at that time, five have exceeded pre-pandemic levels in the share of students scoring proficient in both math and English, including Brookside School 54, Charles Warren Fairbanks School 105, Eleanor Skillen School 34, Harshman Middle School, and Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58. Comparisons are difficult, however, because most of the schools now serve different grade spans.

At Liberty Grove, Harbour has embraced community partnerships, such as the Circle City Readers tutoring program, to give students more individualized attention. The school also built in a dedicated time period for 1-on-1 interventions at least two to three times a week, Harbour said.

“We focused on, ‘OK, if you’re a student at Liberty Grove schools, where were you three, six, eight weeks ago before you took this interim assessment?’ And then we said, ‘OK, this is where you are. This is where you want to be.’”

In the next few years, Harbour hopes to be reaching proficiency rates of 30% or more. But he doesn’t expect that to happen quickly.

“I try to emphasize this: It takes time,” he said.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

How two brothers landed as neighboring principals in their hometown district

2025-07-16T18:41:26+00:00

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If Belzer Middle School Principal Victor Bush needs insight from a fellow school leader, all he has to do is walk across 56th Street.

That’s where his younger brother, Franklyn Bush, serves as principal of Lawrence Central High School.

“It’s great to have someone that you know will never lead you in the wrong direction right across the street,” Victor Bush said. “More importantly, it’s great to have someone that I can look up to as a building leader and call him my little brother.”

Raised by a single mother and a grandmother who deeply valued education, the brothers embarked on almost identical journeys steeped in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township. They graduated seven years apart, Victor in 1989 and Franklyn in 1996, from Lawrence North High School. From there, they attended the Indiana Institute of Technology, where they both pursued degrees in business and finance and played basketball. But it was their experience in Lawrence Township schools that nudged them toward careers in education.

“Moving to Lawrence was one of the best decisions my mother ever made,” Franklyn Bush said. “Our childhood molded us in a lot of ways, but the opportunity, exposure, access, and excellence of Lawrence Township helped us envision things we probably didn’t see previously.”

Franklyn credits two Lawrence Township teachers — Mrs. Swan at Crestview Elementary and Mrs. Witzerman at Lawrence North — for inspiring him to pursue teaching.

“They both were very hard on me, but spent a lot of time with me outside of their required classroom time,” he said. “They truly showed me the value of investing time and positive energy into people through support and accountability.”

Franklyn Bush, center, and Victor Bush, right, with their cousin Nicole Wilson at their grandmother's kitchen table on West 34th St. "We are all college graduates in professional fields, serving in leadership," Victor Bush said.

Victor Bush, meanwhile, was drawn to teaching in part by his experience as an instructional assistant at Lawrence North in 1993. His main role, he said, was to work with a young man with physical and cognitive impairments.

“It was my responsibility to be his champion and teach him how to use his exceptionalities to develop a sense of independence and confidence,” he said.

Now, the brothers lead two schools in the same district from which they and their children have graduated. Together, they’ve aimed to build up these schools, which they refer to as the “Pride of East 56th Street.”

The brothers spoke to Chalkbeat about their childhood, the power of listening to student feedback, why seventh and eighth grade are “wonder years,” and how they approach school leadership.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

To what extent has your brother’s career impacted your own?

Victor: Through our growing pains, we leaned on each other a great deal, especially when our parents decided to divorce. That experience alone caused our relationship to look different because, as the new “man of the house,” I had to step up and help take care of my baby brother — not realizing that he was watching every little thing that I was doing.

Since the day that I arrived at Belzer, Frank has been nothing but super supportive of me and the entire Belzer family. I often call him or simply walk across the street to gain valuable insight or share what’s on my mind.

Franklyn: If you really look at our paths, I’ve copied his journey in so many ways. So his impact has been major! He was the man of the house for as long as I can remember, so his influence and impact are shown throughout my journey.

What’s the most challenging part of being a principal?

Victor: The most challenging part of being a principal is wanting 100% of my students to achieve excellence in all fields of human endeavor, but not being in complete control of the outcomes. As a principal, I put a great deal of pressure on myself and tend to be my own worst critic. There are times when I need to celebrate the small wins that add up and eventually make a huge impact, instead of being down about not hitting a home run every time that we step up to the plate.

Franklyn: Things change every year, so learning and keeping all stakeholders and staff informed, updated, and prepared has its challenges. Also, some of the things that truly should measure the success of a school are overlooked.

What interaction with a student changed your outlook on being an administrator?

Franklyn: My first year as principal, I had an interaction with a great student named Bri. In a very positive way, she challenged the thought process and focus on the leadership team I inherited, and she requested some changes that would allow our students to show more pride and have more opportunities. I listened, reviewed, and implemented some changes that helped us take steps in the right direction. It was a great reminder that it should truly be a community with feedback, collaboration, process, and communication. Sometimes I have to say no, but at least we’ve gone through proper steps.

Victor: My interactions and willingness to support my own kids as they navigated through school and life have had a major impact on my leadership value system. As a parent, I had high expectations as well as high levels of support for both of my children when they attended Belzer and Lawrence Central. So why wouldn’t I have those same levels of support and high expectations for all of my children — every single scholar?

What’s your philosophy on preparing your students for a successful high school experience across the street?

Victor: I often refer to middle school as “the wonder years.” Meaning that during their seventh and eighth grade years, students are transitioning through life in search of their purpose, likes, and dislikes. They tend to want care, connection, and control. Therefore, our school community has to be committed to providing our students with a great sense of belonging, exposure to excellence, and experiences that will help them decide their future aspirations.

Victor, second from right, and Franklyn Bush, right, pose with their cousin Nicole Wilson and grandmother Alice Wills.

What’s the best advice you’ve received from someone about leading a school?

Franklyn: If it’s not good enough for your own kids, it’s not good enough for anyone’s kids!

How did you prepare yourself for the transition from teacher to principal?

Franklyn: A lot of learning, watching, reading, and interning. I was blessed to have so many great mentors and assistant principals and principals that helped me along the way!

Victor: I believe that both of our leadership journeys began with the influence of a teacher that raised us from boys to young men – our mother, Mrs. Carmen Glass. To this day, my mother is 72 years young and competes with me on a daily basis when it comes to who has the strongest work ethic. She is literally at work, sitting at her desk, during our daily morning conversations when I’m in my car on the way. My mom never said “never” and always found a way to [ensure we were] taken care of. She has always been supportive of Franklyn and me in everything that we do and has continued that trend as a proud grandparent. She leads by example and has instilled the importance of being servant leaders, family-oriented, and great fathers to our children.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

IPS to launch STEM Scholars, Future Centers in significant boost to STEM pathway

2025-07-15T19:38:02+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools will launch a multimillion-dollar initiative to boost access to STEM fields — science, technology, engineering, and math — in middle and high schools through the graduating class of 2032.

The Destination 2032 initiative — powered by a $5.5 million grant that’s the largest donation the IPS Foundation has received from the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation — will fund STEM coursework and STEM future centers at William Penn Middle School and Arlington Middle School, the district’s two STEM middle schools. (The Lilly Foundation also supports Chalkbeat. Learn more about our funding here.)

It will also create a STEM-focused fellowship at Arsenal Technical High School that will offer hands-on experience in the field, similar to the district’s Indiana University Health fellowship at Crispus Attucks High School.

The announcement at William Penn Middle School on Tuesday marks a significant boost to the district’s STEM programming that it has sought to expand through its reorganization plan known as Rebuilding Stronger. The plan, which included closing schools amid enrollment decline, rebranded schools based on a number of themes — such as STEM and performing arts — while expanding its popular Montessori and International Baccalaureate programming districtwide.

The funding also comes as some IPS schools work to achieve STEM certification from the Indiana Department of Education.

“This work matters significantly,” Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said. “This is about equity and this is about opportunity intervening at the exact time when our students, particularly our students of color and from low-income communities, are deciding what is possible for their futures.”

The initiative begins in January at William Penn Middle School, where the STEM Scholars program will give students “enhanced” STEM coursework and hands-on projects, according to the district. The scholar program will expand to Arlington Middle School by 2027-28.

Both schools will also launch STEM Future Centers, which are designated areas with staff who will assist students with academic support, arrange hands-on opportunities, and help them plan a STEM-based career.

In two to three years, the district will launch a STEM fellowship at Arsenal Tech that officials hope existing STEM middle school students will pursue in high school. The fellowship will include a cohort of students who will be exposed to STEM careers through internships, externships, or apprenticeships, said Austin Dodd, the district’s director of high school academies and pathways.

The grant funding will last through the next five years.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Marion County superintendents support proposal to extend curfew after recent shootings

2025-07-11T18:26:48+00:00

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The leaders of all 11 Marion County school districts are supporting extended curfew hours for youth following two consecutive weekends of violence that has left five teenagers dead, according to multiple news reports.

The superintendents of Indianapolis Public Schools, the eight surrounding township school districts, and Beech Grove and Speedway Schools said in a statement Friday that they support a City-County Council proposal for an extended curfew.

“This proposal is not about punishment—it’s about prevention,” the superintendents said. “It’s about creating the conditions for our youth to thrive, not just survive. It’s about reclaiming our streets, our neighborhoods, and our collective peace of mind.”

The development is the latest in the city’s ongoing struggle with youth gun violence. After reaching a six-year peak in 2023, the number of youth killed by guns dropped in 2024 — but non-fatal shootings still increased.

The proposed change in city ordinance would set the start of curfew hours two hours earlier than the current ordinance. The change would enact a curfew for minors ages 15-17 between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Those younger than 15 would also have a curfew that starts two hours earlier than the current curfew, but theirs would last from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day of the week.

A City-County Council committee will consider the proposal July 16.

The support for longer curfew hours comes roughly one week after two teenagers were shot and killed downtown after Fourth of July celebrations. Police apprehended three teenagers aged 13, 15, and 16, who face charges in juvenile court that include dangerous possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana, resisting law enforcement, and theft of a firearm.

Another 17-year-old, Vincent Lanking, is charged with dangerous possession of a firearm, resisting law enforcement, and obstruction of justice following the shootings. He has been charged as an adult.

Another three teenagers were also shot and killed in the last weekend of June. Two of the victims were recent Arsenal Technical High School graduates, according to Fox 59. A third had at one point enrolled at Crispus Attucks High School, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Last year, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced they would more strictly enforce curfew following a shooting that injured several young people downtown. The department later said it wasn’t keeping track of how many minors it had picked up for violating curfew.

On Monday, police stressed in a statement that mass enforcement of curfew laws is challenging.

“IMPD cannot carry this burden alone, nor should we,” IMPD said. “We are committed to working with our partners in the family court, city and state government, and community-based organizations to identify long-term solutions. But meaningful change will only happen if every part of the system steps up.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis charter board approves new Legal Prep school for grades 6-12

2025-06-25T01:40:19+00:00

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The Indianapolis Charter School Board approved a legal-themed, college prep charter school on Tuesday, marking the first new school to open in Indianapolis since the end of a heated legislative session this spring that gave charter schools more local funding.

Legal Prep Charter Academy, which currently operates one high school on the west side of Chicago, would open in 2026 with 225 students in 6th and 9th grades, according to its application. The enrollment would grow to 825 in grades 6-12 by 2029-30.

The addition of another charter school is the latest change in the city’s evolving educational landscape. Beginning in 2028, charter schools — which have grown as Indianapolis Public Schools has shrunk — will receive a portion of property tax funding that has historically been reserved for traditional public schools. The legislative change made this year came amid tense opposition from supporters of traditional public schools, while IPS itself called for a moratorium on new schools in its boundaries.

Lawmakers did write into law a prohibition on new charter schools from July to December of this year, except for those schools approved by the mayor’s office.

The 6-1 vote to approve the school came with written support from current Legal Prep students and staff in Chicago.

The school hopes to open near the Monument Circle downtown and build partnerships with the city’s nearby legal community, according to its application. But leaders plan to recruit students across multiple zip codes, particularly those who are from low-income households and historically underserved neighborhoods.

The school faced a variety of concerns and questions from board members, particularly about its ability to recruit enough students and survive financially.

Staff, however, stressed the existing relationships they already have built with a variety of community organizations and law firms. They also pointed to experience at their school in Chicago, which opened in 2012.

“We went through years in Chicago where we had midyear budget cuts, where we had the rug pulled out from under us (in the) fourth quarter,” CEO and co-founder Sam Finkelstein told the board. “We’ve seen a lot when it comes to the way finances can change in a heartbeat, and what we do is we plan conservatively, we fundraise aggressively, and we stockpile for a rainy day.”

In Illinois, the school has a “commendable” rating in the state’s school accountability system — the second highest. The school also boasts a suspension rate under 2%, with only one expulsion since 2021, according to its application.

Legal Prep emphasizes social-emotional learning and a low student-to-counselor ratio that allows staff to adequately respond to student needs and trauma, the school said in its application. The proposed ratio of 70 students for one counselor provides a much lighter case load than the recommended 250 students per counselor.

Amorrie Parchman, an incoming senior at Legal Prep in Chicago, told the board she appreciated the exposure to the legal field and the opportunity to participate in groups such as National Honor Society.

“Being there I realized that if you work hard, you will receive numerous benefits in the end,” she said.

Marquan Morrison, a staff member who was in the school’s first graduating class of 2016, said he’s never doubted the belief and investment he’s received from the Legal Prep family.

The school taught him skills and gave him lasting relationships that ultimately helped him serve his community, he said.

At the Tuesday meeting, outgoing charter board member Andrea Neely cast the sole opposing vote after stressing to school officials that the city’s educational community is approaching a very difficult time. A state-mandated group known as the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is tasked with providing lawmakers with recommendations on how both charter schools and Indianapolis Public Schools can use buildings and transportation efficiently.

“The model is amazing, but again it’s coming at a time of challenge,” she said.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Schools prep students for summer IREAD test as tougher third grade retention law takes effect

2025-06-24T16:35:33+00:00

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All hands were on deck at the PATH School at Stephen Foster School 67 on Monday.

In Destiny Patterson’s room, students used context clues to find out the meaning of the word “pliable.” Down the hall, the definition of “adjective” was on the board as students deconstructed a reading passage.

It was two days before the students began their retake of the state’s third grade literacy exam known as IREAD, and this was the very end of the charter school’s IREAD boot camp. The goal is for students who just finished third and even second grade to pass the test.

The PATH School is one of 55 Indy Summer Learning Lab sites that have enrolled 5,300 Indianapolis students this summer. While the program, which is run by the Mind Trust, focuses on improving students’ math and English skills, they could now play a crucial role for students at risk of being held back based on their literacy skills.

This summer is a critical point for an unknown number of students: a final chance to pass the IREAD in order to avoid repeating third grade.

For many years, Indiana has had a policy on retaining students who do not pass the test — but few students were actually held back thanks to an allowable practice known as “social promotion.” In 2023, over 13,000 students statewide moved on to the fourth grade despite not passing the test, according to Indiana Department of Education data.

Amid concerns about the state’s literacy rates, lawmakers last year mandated retention in law, which makes it more likely that more students will be held back. Those changes take effect for the upcoming school year, though there are still a few exceptions for certain students.

Research suggests that reading by grade 3 is critical to a child’s future academic success.

Still, the retention requirement has garnered concerns from educators, and has reopened a longstanding debate on whether students should be held back.

In even more revisions to the retention law this year, lawmakers allowed students to retake the test twice rather than just once in the summer. The revised law also exempts schools from retaining students until 2027-28 if at least 50% of their third graders are English language learners.

PATH falls under that exemption. But that hasn’t stopped the school from prepping all students for the test. Both third and second grade students who did not pass during the second and third grade are enrolled in the Indy Summer Learning Lab.

“The first core belief of the PATH school is that all scholars can thrive when given the necessary supports to do so,” said Ann Shields, the school’s director of literacy. (PATH is part of the Innovation Network in Indianapolis Public Schools.)

IPS, meanwhile, has summer school sites targeting students who did not pass the IREAD in third grade.

And in Warren Township, the school district has one summer school site for third grade students who did not pass.

“We don’t want to try to communicate the retention piece as a punitive measure, even though it certainly feels that way from a parent’s point of view,” said Associate Superintendent Ryan Russell. “So we try to communicate how critical a student’s ability to be successful on this examination is to their educational outlook.”

Indiana reading retention law does include exemptions

The law’s impact on classrooms will be unclear until after the summer testing window ends Friday. Until then, schools across Indianapolis have been prepping for one final retake.

Schools and districts likely won’t know the total number of students held back until they get IREAD results back around the end of June. IREAD results are typically made public in August.

There are several elements of the law that in theory make it easier for students to avoid being held back.

Schools must give the IREAD test in second grade, and those who pass it are exempt from taking it in third grade. They’re also counted in the following year’s pass rate.

Districts must also offer summer school for third graders who did not pass the IREAD, and to second graders at risk of not passing it. This year, the state budgeted $17.4 million statewide for summer school, with priority given to programs focusing on IREAD.

Students who’ve been English learners for less than two years are exempt from being held back. Those who’ve already been held back or have an intellectual disability or an Individualized Education Program that specifies retention is inappropriate are also exempt. Other exemptions cover those who reached proficiency in math on the state ILEARN exam, and those who have been retained multiple times and have received intensive reading intervention for at least two years.

But educators are particularly concerned about the requirement’s impact on English language learners and have argued that it takes longer than two years to appropriately master English.

In IPS — where nearly one-third of students are English language learners — the district’s IREAD pass rates have dipped from 59.9% in 2021 to 59.8% last year. Since the pandemic, the district has annually promoted upwards of 289 students who did not pass the IREAD and did not receive an exemption to fourth grade, according to state data.

IPS did not respond to requests to visit a summer school site and speak to an official by deadline.

But in April, Chief Learning Officer Lela Simmons told the school board that the district was tracking students who did not pass IREAD to determine areas of improvement.

“This mandate for retention is life-changing for every one of those kids,” she said. “And so we are taking it with that level of seriousness.”

In Warren Township — where IREAD pass rates have increased from 62.7% in 2021 to nearly 82% last year — the district’s work to increase IREAD proficiency has made it “far less anxious” about the number of students facing retention, said Russell.

“But tell that to a family who falls in that category,” he said. “That’s high pressure, high anxiety.”

Summer school attendance can be challenging

In Warren Township, students at Eastridge Elementary rotate between classrooms focused on the three sections of the IREAD test: foundational skills, nonfiction, and literature.

The law requires such summer school programs to be staffed by teachers with training in the science of reading, which the state defines broadly as a body of scientifically based research on literacy instruction. The district has seen scores grow as much as 10% over the summer, according to Russell.

Third grade students in Warren Township who did not pass Indiana's IREAD exam work on summer school assignments at Eastridge Elementary.

After applying exemptions, Eastridge Elementary Principal Tomeka Johnson estimates retaining only two of the nine students who qualified for summer school this year.

One major challenge of summer school: convincing families to show up. Shorter summer school hours and summer travel can lower attendance.

Students who do show up are on a tight timeline, said Monica Shellhamer, a third grade teacher and second vice president of the Indianapolis Education Association who is teaching at one of the IPS summer school sites.

“We really only have three weeks to make a huge gain for some of our students, and a lot of that’s not realistic,” she said. “Some of them are pretty far off and don’t have an exemption and will be retained based on a multitude of factors.”

At PATH, though, the school has seen good engagement, said Shields. And for second graders, staff have pitched summer school as an opportunity to cross off the IREAD requirement.

“And then once they pass it,” she said, “we tell them they never have to see that test again.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools to expand staff use of AI in pilot program, school board to consider draft policy

2025-06-11T11:00:00+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools is considering a policy on artificial intelligence that would guide the district as it experiments with AI tools for teachers and staff.

The policy — which the school board could vote on later this month — follows a yearlong pilot program in which 20 staff members used a district-approved AI tool to better understand its uses and challenges. Although the policy does not address specific acceptable student uses, it lists general guiding points for staff to ensure AI tools are appropriately used for teaching and learning.

“There’s still a lot to learn from a broader group of adult users before we’re putting students in an environment that maybe doesn’t match curriculum or what teachers are learning at the same time,” Ashley Cowger, the district’s chief systems officer, said. “We want to make sure that staff feel well equipped to determine what the boundaries are for use of AI in a classroom.”

The basic guidelines are one step into a complex AI landscape that IPS and other districts now navigate. While districts could use tools such as the chatbots ChatGPT and Google Gemini to cut down on time-consuming, administrative tasks, they must also balance concerns over online student privacy and inherent bias in the manmade tools.

Plus, IPS will launch a second phase of its pilot AI program this upcoming school year in which even more staff will use a generative AI tool — the chatbot Google Gemini. However, the district is not yet adopting a districtwide tool for staff.

“We are focused on playing the long game so that we’re not finding ourselves in a situation where we’re procuring a bunch of different systems and then those systems don’t meet our needs in a year or two,” Cowger told the school board in May.

The district did not respond to questions from Chalkbeat Indiana about the second phase of the pilot program and future rules for student use of AI tools by deadline.

AI could support lesson plans, create reports

The draft policy states that AI must be used to produce equitable outcomes while also adhering to applicable federal laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which mandates the privacy of student records.

Staff must only use AI tools approved by the district, which would license the appropriate AI products, according to the draft policy. An “AI Advisory Committee” of administrators, teachers, and technology and legal experts would also provide input on the districtwide use of AI.

It’s unclear when the advisory committee would be created.

Acceptable uses of AI listed in the draft policy include using it to:

Draft communications such as emails and newsletters
Create data summaries or reports
Support lesson planning
Automate “repetitive, low-risk tasks”

The acceptable uses were shaped by this past school year’s pilot, which concluded that using AI helps staff do more complex analytical tasks with less human brainpower and capacity, Cowger told the board.

“It also allowed us to simplify administrative tasks,” she said. “Our schools send out newsletters every week. We also do district communication regularly. We have tools like a generative AI tool that can help us at least craft a first draft that doesn’t require 100% of human brainpower all the time.”

The first phase of the pilot included teachers, administrators, and central office staff.

Google Gemini will cost $177 per user in the second phase of the pilot program for 2025-26, Cowger said. The second, broader phase could help the district figure out how far it would like to stretch its use of AI going into the 2026-27 school year.

Cowger said the district’s “responsible use agreements” for district-issued technology, such as laptops, will also need to be updated to “encompass the world of AI.”

And although the district negotiated a cheaper cost per user for Gemini in the second phase of the pilot, Cowger said officials will have to think about the future potential cost if AI use grows districtwide.

Using free versions of AI tools comes with the risk of sharing sensitive student information — such as a student’s personalized education plan — on the internet, Cowger said.

The district has also outlined a “roadmap” for professional learning for staff that will be used in the upcoming school year.

“From hearing feedback from the pilot group over the course of this year we heard a lot of what people want to know. People want to know how the tools actually work. They understand it’s not magic, but they also don’t need to know all of the science behind it,” Cowger said. “Something in the middle that they need to understand.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to host 3 public meetings where people can comment

2025-06-09T21:40:40+00:00

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A group that could shape the future of charter and traditional public schools in Indianapolis will hold at least three public meetings that allow public comments, Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office has announced.

The state-mandated group is tasked with examining solutions for facility and transportation management across both Indianapolis Public Schools and the charter schools within its borders. The set of recommendations that the group must provide to state leaders by the end of 2025 could feature more resource-sharing between IPS — which has gradually lost students for years — and the charter sector.

Although the group will hold public meetings, it is still exempt from the state’s Open Door Law — a caveat that sparked criticism from community members. The group could still meet in private “due to some of the complexities associated with the work and the definitive timeline to produce recommendations,” a spokesperson for Hogsett’s office said in an email.

Public meetings will take place at 6 p.m. at the City County Building at 200 E. Washington St. on the following dates:

June 25, 2025.
July 23, 2025.
Aug. 20, 2025.

Other dates will be shared when they are finalized, according to the mayor’s office.

Members of the public who would like to provide in-person comment can sign up to speak beginning at noon on the business day before the meeting. Each speaker will be limited to two minutes. The public can also use the same link to submit online comments at that time, the mayor’s office said.

The public can also share their experiences with school transportation by completing a survey, and can send general feedback on the group to ILEA@indy.gov.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Former superintendent of Indiana virtual charter schools pleads guilty to wire fraud

2025-06-05T20:29:59+00:00

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The former superintendent of the two virtual charter schools at the center of a statewide enrollment scandal has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Percy Clark has agreed to pay a judgment of roughly $1.3 million, the amount he received as part of what federal prosecutors have called a broader conspiracy to defraud the Indiana Department of Education, according to a plea agreement submitted to a federal judge last week.

If accepted by the court, the plea deal would be one step towards recovering funds from the alleged scheme that generated both a federal indictment and a separate lawsuit from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita.

Both cases allege that Clark, along with school founder Thomas Stoughton and other defendants, falsely inflated enrollment figures at Indiana Virtual Academy and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy. Federal prosecutors allege they defrauded the state of $44.6 million. Rokita’s lawsuit has alleged $154 million in fraud.

The legal actions follow a 2017 Chalkbeat investigation that found enrollment at the schools ballooned, and that state funds went to a for-profit company founded by Stoughton. After both schools closed in 2019, a 2020 Indiana State Board of Accounts report called on the schools to repay over $85 million in state money.

It’s unclear what party would receive Clark’s $1.3 million payment.

Clark has agreed to forfeit other assets if he is unable to pay back the judgment in full. He has also agreed to 60 months of probation, the first 24 of which he would be confined to his home without an electronic monitoring device.

Clark initially faced 18 counts of wire fraud and 11 counts of money laundering in the federal indictment, but prosecutors have agreed to dismiss the remaining counts.

Clark’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment. A person who answered a phone number listed for Clark said that he was not home.

Plea agreement acknowledges ‘high probability’ of fraud

In the plea agreement, Clark admits that there was a “high probability” that the schools inflated enrollment and that “he avoided learning whether or not that was in fact the truth, which it was.”

Separate from the monetary judgment, Clark has also agreed that the scheme ultimately requires $44.6 million in total restitution which he and other defendants in the federal case are responsible for repaying. But it’s unclear how much of that he could end up paying, or whether the $1.3 million monetary judgment could count toward his portion of the total restitution. The federal case involving Stoughton and a third defendant, Phillip Holden, is ongoing.

Other former employees who also faced federal legal action will be responsible for paying back the $44.6 million in restitution as outlined in their plea agreements — although exact amounts per defendant are unclear.

School operations manager Christopher King pleaded guilty in November 2023 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to court documents. Kyle Schroeder, a manager of student service representatives, also pleaded guilty to concealing a felony in March 2024, according to court documents.

Federal prosecutors have also alleged that Stoughton ultimately used state money to make over $40,000 in campaign contributions to Republican candidates in 2018. He is also accused of using state funds to purchase a Cadillac, gold coins, Tiffany jewelry, and tuition to the private Park Tudor school.

The state’s lawsuit — which also lists Stoughton’s wife, Rhonda Stoughton, as a defendant — is ongoing.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.