Three charters want to occupy closing IPS schools that district hopes to keep
The six planned school closures follow the IPS board’s vote to adopt the Rebuilding Stronger plan last week.
Public schools
IPS superintendent seeks tax increase to fund school reorganization plan
The tax referendum—which would be on the May 2023 ballot—would increase the median homeowner’s bill by $6 per month, IPS officials said.
Republican AGs sue U.S. agency over LGBTQ school guidance
More than 20 Republican attorneys general filed a lawsuit Tuesday against President Joe Biden’s administration over a school meal program that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Q&A with Tony Dzwonar, from the school board to the bus lot
Tony Dzwonar had just wrapped up three consecutive terms on the Washington Township school board—serving from 2008 to late 2020—and was looking for a way to spend his extra free time. Then he remembered that the district—like most school corporations—needed bus drivers.
Perry Township voters extend school tax hike; Franklin Township voters say no to increase
With about 83 percent of Marion County vote centers reporting, 60% of Perry Township voters favored an extension of a property tax increase they first approved in 2015.
‘Everything is on the table’ as IPS addresses enrollment decline, too many schools
The fiscal pressures raise the question of whether district leaders will consider closing schools—an option used recently to address a shrinking enrollment of secondary grades.
Indiana House moves bill aimed at school board meetings
A separate proposal seeking to add political party identifications to what are now nonpartisan school board elections throughout the state was effectively abandoned.
Indiana lawmakers get pushback on partisan school board bill
School board members from across Indiana voiced opposition Tuesday to a Republican-backed proposal that would add political party identifications to what are now nonpartisan school board elections throughout the state.
Pike Township cancels in-person school due to bus driver absences
Superintendent Flora Reichanadter tweeted that a confluence of driver illness, planned medical leave, and the general shortage of bus drivers led to many routes without drivers.
Rising COVID-19 rates bring back masks at local school districts
Districts such as Washington Township have found themselves caught in the middle of a political and public health maelstrom, trying to balance changing health guidance amid the delta surge with the demands of parents and desire for in-person learning.
Vaccinated teachers, students don’t need masks, CDC says in new guidelines
The relaxed guidelines come amid a national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are eligible to get shots, as well as a general decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.
COVID vaccine hesitancy among Black, Latino students concerns local officials
Marion County officials hope to ramp up vaccinations among 12- to 18-year-olds before the start of the school year to enable relaxed masking and social distancing restrictions.
Local firm looking to clear the air on buses, trains
The startup has already signed deals with schools and metro bus services in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Fort Wayne and Jacksonville, Florida. The firm also rolled out a system two months ago for rail cars and has it in place in Philadelphia.
Marion County parents question school closures, urge county to reconsider
A coalition of parents is pushing back on Marion County’s recent public health order that will close schools to in-person instruction for about eight weeks, especially when bars and restaurants are allowed to remain open.
The Mind Trust to open 22 virtual learning sites in Marion County
The sites serve as hubs where small groups of students are provided weekday virtual learning supervision and support at no cost to families.
Indiana planning to revamp school A-F grades
At a meeting Tuesday, the board discussed a framework drafted by its staff that offered several ideas for updating the school accountability system.
Charter backers battle to preserve edge on IPS school board
With four seats on the seven-member board up for election, the outcome could easily shift the balance of power in the district.
When school is home and home is school, which rules prevail?
In the learn-from-home world, educators are encountering friction when extending regular classroom discipline and decorum into young people’s previously private spaces.
IPS board candidates debate innovation schools, racial equity, budget cuts
Four seats on the seven-member board are up for election Nov. 3. Advocacy groups have drawn the usual battle lines between candidates who back innovation schools and those who are skeptical of the strategy.
State launching new guidelines for schools during pandemic
The color-coded system, expected to go live Wednesday, assigns scores to counties based on three key metrics: the number of new cases per 100,000 residents, positivity percentage and change in percent positivity from the previous week.