Under the bill that advanced Wednesday, the group will develop a plan for the collaborative use of transportation and facilities between IPS and charter schools within IPS boundaries.
The revised property tax reform bill would reduce the number of revenue sources that school districts would need to share with charters, as proposed in separate legislation.
The Indianapolis Education Association delivered a petition to the school board on Thursday to enact a moratorium on any new agreements with charter schools.
The district’s finances face heightened uncertainty as Indiana lawmakers advance bills that cap property tax revenue and require IPS to share local property tax revenue with charter schools.
Brian Metcalf, who led the charter network from July 2019 through December 2022, pleaded guilty to two of the nine counts of wire fraud outlined in an indictment filed in 2023.
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 lawsuits argue that a culture of unchecked student violence exists throughout the district.
Leaders of the Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy face both federal and state cases in which they’re accused of defrauding the state of millions of dollars.
House Bill 1136, the most extreme bill facing the district, would dissolve IPS and its elected school board and replace it with charter schools overseen by an appointed board.
Construction workers started demolition on the former School 69 building off of Keystone Avenue in the Meadows neighborhood on Monday, marking an end to the brick school building built in 1931.
House Bill 1501 would create two boards to manage transportation and facilities for Indianapolis Public Schools starting in 2026, making these assets available for sharing with charter schools.
The decline of roughly 800 students since last school year was driven almost entirely by falling middle school enrollment.
The bill is the latest of several proposals that threaten the district’s viability.
The 6-0 approval extends the district’s relationship with the schools—most of which are charters—until June 2030.
The schools up for renewal this week served a total of roughly 3,900 students last year and show varying levels of increased, decreased, or stagnant test results in the years immediately preceding and following the pandemic.
The Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township will lift pay for its roughly 1,000 teachers and its administrators.
The unofficial election results bring two candidates to the board with the help of charter-friendly political action committees that funded mailers, canvassing, and other outreach efforts.
The notable split stems from ongoing disputes among the five board members over compensation and academic achievement.
The city had planned to purchase the property from IPS for $725,000 as part of a project to transform the campus into an “Opportunity Hub” of social, community, and health services.
The race for four seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools board could significantly reshape the board’s makeup, with more candidates who are critical of charter schools.
