Want to know where IPS school board candidates stand? Check our voter guide.

Where the candidates vying for seats on the IPS board stand on racial equity, innovation schools, and more.

Poll works during the May 2020 primary election in Indiana.
Poll works during the May 2020 primary election in Indiana. (Indiana Public Broadcasting)

Four seats are on the November ballot for the Indianapolis Public Schools’ Board of School Commissioners, putting the district’s future in the hands of voters at a pivotal moment.

The winners will join the board as the state’s largest school district faces the unfolding fiscal and educational impact of the pandemic. The next board will also weigh in on crucial issues, including: a reckoning with racial equity; potential school closings or consolidations; and the district’s ongoing commitment to partnerships with charter school operators. 

Now, the 10 candidates face a challenging campaign landscape. The pandemic curtailed face-to-face meetings and shifted the interaction with voters into the digital space. Candidates are relying on videoconferencing to meet constituents. Others are supported by texting campaigns organized on their behalf by outside groups. 

Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI asked candidates to respond to the biggest issues facing the district and how they would represent their constituents. Candidates showed support for the district’s recent Racial Equity Mindset, Commitment & Action policy and concern for keeping students academically on track during the pandemic. Below are their answers. 

You can learn even more about the candidates and hear them answer questions from reporters at a virtual forum Tuesday. 

Districts 1, 2, and 4: 5:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.

At-large 6:30 p.m. to 7:20 p.m.

Register for the virtual event and submit your questions for the candidates here.

The Latest

Revised legislation would allow districts to charge families tuition for students who aren’t in the country legally, in a challenge to federal law.

The author of the proposal said the requirements are a burden for teachers. Lawmakers also attempted to clarify language on when schools can charge fees for materials.

Construction was supposed to start soon. But the project has been put ‘on hold for now’ as the district gathers more feedback.

A snapshot of how the pandemic has changed students’ expectations for the college experience, and more news about higher education in Colorado.

The proposal would establish an advisory group to draw up recommendations for sharing education resources. IPS has expressed concerns about the idea, but pro-charter school groups have backed it.

Policymakers and leaders of community organizations and coalitions must work for school and district leaders to reduce chronic absenteeism, authors of a new book say.