IPS board renews agreements with six Innovation Network schools

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat Indiana.

The Indianapolis Public Schools board approved renewal of agreements with six schools in the district’s autonomous Innovation Network on Thursday.

The 6-0 approval extends the district’s relationship with the schools—most of which are charters—until June 2030. Innovation schools contract with the district for various services such as transportation and facilities.

Academic results for the six schools—Adelante Schools, Enlace Academy, the PATH School, Phalen Leadership Academies at School 48, Phalen Leadership Academies at School 103 and Sankofa School of Success—are mixed. While some show proficiency rates on the state’s ILEARN and IREAD tests that are above similar schools or IPS as a whole, others fall below those averages.

The Innovation agreement for Christel House South and Christel House Watanabe High School, both housed on the former Emmerich Manual High School campus, automatically renew without a board vote per the Christel House network’s original agreement with the district.

Board member Will Prichard said it’s an exciting time for IPS to renew the agreements.

“Each of these schools, at least the ones that I’ve been to, offer something unique. They have different, unique strengths. They serve, in some cases, very different populations,” he said. “There’s an immense amount of talent at these schools, and it’s really a privilege for IPS I think to be exposed and a partner with a lot of these schools.”

Board members also acknowledged the need to monitor academic performance where necessary.

Board member Nicole Carey, who still voted to approve the agreements, also noted that the board needs to see progress at particular schools.

“I was pleased to hear that there’s partnership in being able to follow up and monitor in some of our schools,” she said.

Chalkbeat Indiana is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.