Indianapolis Public Schools
The Senate’s budget proposal comes as lawmakers advance property tax reforms that could cut funding for many school districts.
The initial makeup of the Indianapolis local education alliance sparked concern from Indianapolis Public Schools. Now, the district said it’s encouraged by the proposed group’s “balanced representation.”
The amended bill advanced by a House committee would also break up the Union School Corporation.
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.
A petition from the union says ‘the unchecked expansion of charter schools’ is a big threat to IPS. But some want the district and charters to cooperate.
Revenues for the 2025-26 budget may change if lawmakers pass bills that could restrict the district’s funding — particularly a property tax relief bill estimated to cost the district $1.3 million.
As a bill requiring IPS to share property tax revenue advances, members of the public debated the extent to which different types of schools should receive funding.
Indiana lawmakers are advancing a bill to force the district to share property tax revenue with charter schools. While charter advocates support the change, IPS worries about creating an unsustainable system.
The district’s commitment to limit immigration officers’ access to schools ‘cannot be squared with state law,’ Attorney General Todd Rokita writes.
Senate Bill 518 would force Indianapolis Public Schools to close 20 schools and lay off hundreds of employees, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson tells lawmakers.
The IPS school board took a stand against legislation that could threaten the district’s future, and called on the public to share their concerns about the legislation with lawmakers. Some members also spoke against the growth of charter schools.
Indianapolis Public Schools will build the new Sidener Academy for High Ability Students on the site.
While the number of youth killed by gun violence dropped in 2024, the number of those injured in non-fatal shootings has increased.
Critics of charter schools say bills this session are part of a long-term plan to destroy the district. The bills’ supporters say they want IPS to be better, not disappear.
The legislation applies to IPS and four other districts in which less than 50% of students within their borders attend schools operated by the districts.
District officials say they hope there’s a rebound in middle school enrollment similar to the one IPS experienced when it closed and consolidated high schools 7 years ago.
The bill is the latest of several proposals that threaten the district’s viability.
The rates are the highest in a decade, and the percentage of students graduating without a waiver increased from 2023 to 2024.
Broad Ripple Middle School opened this year as part of Rebuilding Stronger, the IPS restructuring plan. But the change led some families to leave.
The schools as a whole show mixed results on tests such as the state’s ILEARN and IREAD exams.