Lilly Endowment gives Marion County schools $460M but delays grant decision for IPS
The grants will support a wide range of initiatives like new student programming, teacher training, and updated STEM and performing arts spaces.
Education & Workforce Development
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Regional Opportunity Initiatives Inc. debuts microelectronics program for high schools in new training hub
The fledgling program is starting with 12 students, but Regional Opportunities Initiatives Inc. CEO Tina Peterson predicted that the training hub will become a crucial part of southern Indiana’s microelectronics and defense ecosystem.
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IBJ Podcast: Pew Research’s Richard Fry unpacks gender gap in college enrollment
Fry analyzes federal data from 2011 to 2022, highlighting a sharp drop in college attendance among young men, shifting public views on the value of a degree, and rising wages for workers without one.
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Gender gap grows amid college ranks as fewer boys choose higher education
In raw numbers, 72,419 more girls than boys who graduated from Indiana high schools from 2009 to 2023 went on to higher education, according to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s College Going Dashboard.
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IBJ Podcast: Who’s afraid of the big, bad FAFSA? Here’s what families can expect this fall.
If you think you’re too well off to receive help paying for college, you’re probably wrong. And the process for filing the FAFSA isn’t nearly as arduous today as its reputation suggests.
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Articles
State piloting program that would allow employees to bring infants to work
The effort is part of Gov. Mike Braun’s “Family First Indiana” agenda and builds on expanded parental leave policies announced earlier this year.
Federal review finds 44% of US trucking schools don’t comply with government rules
The Transportation Department said it plans to revoke the accreditation of thousands of schools unless they can comply with training requirements in the next 30 days.
Alliance members weigh in on who should govern IPS, charter 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.
Dennis Bland keeps Center for Leadership Development—and the kids it serves—moving forward
For that devotion, and for a lifetime spent quietly strengthening the city around him, IBJ has named Bland the 32nd recipient of the Michael A. Carroll Award.
Indianapolis Local Education Alliance presents proposals on school transportation, building, and governance
The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance has presented a slew of potential solutions for how to share school transportation and buildings. But a larger question looms: Who should govern charter and district schools?
School deregulation, IPS future expected to be among top topics for state legislators
While Indiana legislative leaders haven’t yet detailed their education priorities for 2026, they have a list of unfinished business to tackle when it comes to schools.
Trump administration takes major step toward dismantling Education Department
Six new agreements signed by the Education Department will effectively move billions of dollars in grant programs to other agencies.
IPS board members float reducing district’s boundaries, but getting buy-in could be tricky
If done today, reducing the boundaries of Indianapolis Public Schools to only include Center Township would remove 47 district and charter schools from IPS borders.
Purdue to add AI competency as graduation requirement
The new AI competency requirement, which could launch as soon as next year, is part of Purdue University’s existing partnership with Google.
Heartland BioWorks inks biomanufacturing workforce training agreement
The Bloomington-based Applied Research Institute, which manages Heartland BioWorks, said the agreement will position Indiana as a “central nexus for biomanufacturing training and innovation.”
Proposed IPS teachers contract would provide smaller raises amid shaky financial outlook
The raises come at an increasingly precarious time for IPS, which faces a funding cliff. The district is projected to end 2026 with an estimated $44 million deficit, according to cash flow projections from September.
Congressional report cites Purdue in push for tighter limits on Chinese students
A congressional report uses Purdue University as a case study to argue for tighter limits on Chinese students and academic partnerships, even as it praises the school’s research security policies.
A new rating system could help decide which schools close or expand. Will Indianapolis education officials create one?
As the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance considers changes to the city’s education landscape, supporters of charters and traditional public schools have indicated support for a universal school-rating system.
Rokita files lawsuit against IPS for ‘frustrating’ immigration officials
The lawsuit alleges Indianapolis Public Schools maintains policies that violate Indiana’s anti-sanctuary statute.
Avon voters approve school tax renewal despite Beckwith opposition
The decision came as communities in four other Indiana districts also approved school tax questions in special elections.
Lilly Endowment offers up to $500M to Indiana colleges, universities for AI study, strategies
The initiative is expected to “support Indiana colleges and universities in their ongoing efforts to address the implications of a rapidly evolving technology in their institutions and the lives of their students,” Lilly Endowment said.
IPS school board approves sale of John Marshall building for $350,000
The sale of a 16-acre portion of the 40-acre John Marshall campus at 10101 E. 38th St. marks the end of the district’s history with the school, which first opened in 1967.
No new Indiana child care vouchers to be issued until 2027
Family and Social Services Administration leaders announced the moratorium at a quarterly fiscal meeting Wednesday, in the agency’s latest strategy to contain enrollment—and cut expenses.
IPS changes Office of Racial Equity amid national backlash to DEI
The transition was meant to ensure “that every student has what they need to be successful, regardless of their identity,” the district said in a statement Wednesday.