
IPS board takes stand against bills that threaten district’s survival
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.
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.
A Republican-backed bill that could dissolve five Indiana school districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools, sparked backlash from advocates and district leaders who argue the legislation unfairly targets high-poverty and urban districts that primarily educate children of color.
Indiana Charter Innovation Center President and CEO Scott Bess wants traditional public school districts to share property tax proportionally.
The 6-0 approval extends the district’s relationship with the schools—most of which are charters—until June 2030.
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.
Peterson, 66, will be succeeded by David Harris, who worked in the Peterson administration and currently is the executive vice president of Christel House International.
In some cases, charters are an option only for those families who can afford to drive or live close enough to walk to school.
The announcement on Thursday builds off of the groundbreaking program IU Indianapolis and IPS announced in September that grants automatic admission to seniors with a grade point average of at least 3.0.
The charter authorizer also approved the expansion of GEO Next Generation Academy, which is on the same property as Indy STEAM.
The split between Andrew J. Brown Academy and National Heritage Academies involves facilities, finances, and more. One is looking for a new home and has a new operator. The other wants to start a new school.
The change is the result of years of lobbying by charter school supporters, who say that all public school students should benefit from local property taxes that help pay for buildings.
The approval is another lifeline for the charter school, which was initially named Ignite Achievement Academy and tasked by Indianapolis Public Schools to improve an underperforming school near the city’s Riverside neighborhood.
The move by the Genius School comes after the charter authorizer overseeing it put it on probation and another authorizer rejected its bid for a new charter.
Girls IN STEM Academy is planned as a K-8 charter school with a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The school is founded in partnership between Paramount Schools of Excellence, Purdue Polytechnic High Schools and the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana.
The school, operated by Paramount Schools of Excellence, is projecting an enrollment of 125 students in grades K-6 in the first year. The projection increased to nearly 300 students in grades K-8 by 2028-29.
Purdue Polytechnic High School West is now expected to open somewhere on the west side of Indianapolis within Indianapolis Public Schools borders, but the exact location remains unclear.
About 100 people showed up to the hearing Thursday at the City-County Building for what’s become a contentious fight between school choice advocates and traditional public school supporters.
Some Washington Township parents want to block an all-girls charter school from opening at a moment when tensions regarding school choice and access to equitable education are fermenting throughout Marion County.
Senate Bill 270 clarifies language added in the last legislative session that led to two different interpretations of the law by Indianapolis Public Schools and the state.
The defendants face a combined 76 charges including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.