Charter schools
The state’s education commissioner approved the renewal of five charter schools in Newark and two enrollment expansions. One expansion was denied after the city’s public school district raised objections.
Charters within Indianapolis Public Schools borders could choose not to give control of their school buildings over to the proposed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation under a bill lawmakers advanced Thursday. The updated language also clarifies who can close schools.
Superintendent Alex Marrero had originally recommended that the board vote no.
The graduation rates for the district’s Black and Hispanic students have also risen above statewide figures.
When the Eaton Fire destroyed Pasadena Rosebud Academy, its executive director focused on keeping her students engaged and her community intact, even without a campus.
The declines could set up financial challenges for both sectors as Indianapolis schools face a potential revamp.
The charter school has more than tripled its enrollment since launching in IPS School 44 in 2016.
State education officials questioned whether the move is legal — though they have limited power to block it.
Schools in Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Colorado are teeing up new test cases after the Supreme Court deadlocked last year on whether charter schools can be religious.
The proposal addresses how facilities and transportation will be run and how property taxes will be distributed.
State lawmakers will consider creating a new agency to oversee IPS schools and charters. Here’s a look at the history and powerful advocates behind that push for unified control over city schools.
The 8-1 vote on the recommendations came amid increasing public pressure to retain the power of the elected school board over district buildings and transportation.
In a statement, the board said the move would be a ‘step toward unparalleled local accountability.’
The day before the ILEA votes on final recommendations to send to lawmakers, the mayor and superintendent announced five things they want to see in the final draft. But a plan for who oversees schools didn’t make their list.
Supporters of both charter and traditional schools worry a new governance structure would create more bureaucracy and fail to address academic issues.
The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance could make specific recommendations for key issues like funding, transportation, and the growth of public schools — or it could let state lawmakers fill in the blanks.
The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is meeting Dec. 3 to start narrowing down recommendations for changing who runs schools.
The 4 governance options unveiled at the group’s recent meeting range from a fully elected IPS school board to a fully appointed one.
Of the options that the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance could recommend, 3 of the 4 would shift power away from the current elected school board.
Proposed governance changes from the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance range from an elected IPS board that oversees both district and charter schools to an IPS board fully appointed by the mayor.