The proposed Indiana Office of School Safety was pitched by lawmakers Thursday as a cost-effective, “one-stop shop” for state and local officials to collaborate on school safety initiatives.
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.
School grades have been effectively suspended since 2018, when Indiana shifted from ISTEP to a new state standardized test and later grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
The property was occupied by a Marsh Supermarkets store from 1960 to 2017 and then a Safeway from 2017 until about 2020.
The message came after the Trump administration issued a new directive that allows ICE officers to arrest people in sensitive areas, including schools, churches, hospitals and childcare centers.
The bill would allow single-owner child care companies or nonprofits, like YMCAs, to open multiple locations under one license.
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.
Purdue University’s new multi-use building planned for the northwest corner of Michigan and West streets in Indianapolis is expected to rise 15 stories and open in 2027.
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.
The lawsuit has been expanded to bring claims for alleged federal constitutional violations against Indiana University’s long-time head trainer for the men’s basketball program.
Experts say it will likely take a few years before the impacts of the Supreme Court decision fully shake out, especially given other factors that could have affected enrollment this year, like the shaky rollout of a new federal aid platform.
The proposal, described as a “working document” ahead of next week’s NCAA convention, would grant the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference rights to manage postseason championships such as the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
Known as IU LAB and supported by a $138 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, the IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences will be based at the 16 Tech Innovation District.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce laid out its legislative priorities Thursday, which also include quality-of-life measures to benefit the state’s workforce.
The decline of roughly 800 students since last school year was driven almost entirely by falling middle school enrollment.
Recent budget plans earmarked roughly half of the state’s $44.5 billion biennial spending for K-12 education.
As Trump previews a hard-line immigration policy including militarized mass deportation of illegal immigrants, many in the tech industry are pushing him to expand legal immigration for high-skilled workers.
Many of the priorities related to K-12 that Republican leaders outlined for next year, like expanding school vouchers and limiting property tax hikes, come with a price tag.
Becker expects the bank’s apprenticeship program will gain momentum when changes to the high school diploma take effect, beginning with the class of 2029 (current eighth-graders).
