The school board pledged to continue discussions in the next week with the Indy Chamber, which released an alternative proposal last week calling for massive spending cuts and a significantly smaller tax increase.
In a plan unveiled Wednesday, the Indy Chamber is proposing sweeping cuts to save Indianapolis Public Schools nearly $500 million over eight years—and drastically slash the amount the district would seek from taxpayers in referendums.
The revelation that about 1 percent of the district’s teaching force will have its contracts canceled comes after weeks of uncertainty over how many teachers might lose their jobs.
The Indy Chamber said it has “identified dozens of recommendations that add up to hundreds of millions of dollars in potential savings” for Indianapolis Public Schools.
The building, which sits on a 1.7-acre lot at 120 E. Walnut St., has served as the district's home since 1960.
Enrollment in teaching programs and those graduating with teaching degrees declined 37 percent from 2004 through 2014.
Teachers say that, beyond compensation issues, they are grappling with inadequate school funding, a lack of respect from some parents and community members, and increased school-safety concerns.
The proposed request—which comes three months after the school district abruptly withdrew referendums from the May ballot—is the first piece of a new plan to increase school funding.
Schools will receive grades this year from a state accountability law and through the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.
In many parts of the city, the proliferation of charter schools is pushing the school choice conversation beyond simply providing more options to focusing on the quality of those options.
The 16-acre property could command $6 million to $8 million from developers, but a state law might prevent Indianapolis Public Schools from cashing in.
The development, proposed for the southwest corner of Wheeler Road and 181st Street, could be started in spring 2019 and open in fall 2020 if approvals are received and fundraising goals are met, YMCA and school officials said.
The payments were offered to educators who notified the district by April 20 that they planned to retire. The district emailed teachers this week to tell them the agreement was approved and they would receive the payments.
The finance update outlines a plan for cutting nearly $21 million from the cash-strapped district’s $269 million general fund budget for 2018-19.
The IPS district is seeing some of the effects of high school closings and budget woes on educators. Here’s a look at the latest numbers.
Ferebee said he made the call after discussing his options with his family, IPS board members and those handling the L.A. search process.
Currently, the firm is overseeing building expansions at Mt. Vernon Middle School in Fortville and Delta High School in Muncie. Both projects include plans to make the buildings more secure.
Ferebee has made a name for himself nationally by overhauling IPS, converting low-performing schools into “innovation schools” run by outside charter operators but still under the district’s umbrella.
A minimum of 100 and a maximum of 150 educators would have to accept the offer for the district to go through with it. If 150 teachers accept the $20,000, the payouts could cost the district as much as $3 million.
The money will fund laptops, desktop computers, wireless high-speed internet and other tech-related needs for a new academy opening at George Washington High School next fall.
