Charters awarded $40M in loans from controversial state program
Indiana’s State Board of Education on Friday said it had received requests for a total of $77M in loans from 33 charter schools, exceeding the funding approved for the $50M program.
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Indiana charter school loans moving ahead despite questions
The Indiana State Board of Education is moving ahead with a plan to distribute up to $40 million in loans to charter schools despite questions about a per-student funding cap included in the program.
Herron targets historic armory on White River for new high school
Herron High School hopes to raise enough money to turn an abandoned armory in Indianapolis into a new high school, according to Indiana Landmarks, which is trying to save the property.
U.S. asks Indiana education agency for data on poverty funds
Federal officials expressed that it is possible that both charter and traditional public schools may have received an excess allocation of federal dollars, the Indiana Department of Education said.
Federal officials: Ritz erred with charter school funding cuts
An email from the U.S. Department of Education to the Indiana Department of Education says the state incorrectly applied provisions of federal law when determining this year’s Title I poverty aid for charter schools.
Charter schools bemoan steep federal poverty aid reductions
The state’s charter school leaders say they are unfairly bearing the weight of Indiana’s $3 million reduction in federal Title I funding.
Funding challenges loom over education-reform groups
Education reform groups are struggling to raise money locally, even as Indiana is recognized as one of the friendliest in the nation for school reform ideas.
IPS board gives blessing to house Global Prep charter school
Superintendent Lewis Ferebee got the go-ahead Tuesday night to negotiate a deal with charter school developer Mariama Carson to place the dual-language immersion school she plans to open next year in an IPS building.
Extra resources lift performance of impoverished schools
Providence Cristo Rey is one of a handful of Indiana schools with overwhelming numbers of low-income students that is achieving results at least as good as or better than the state average.
Pence touts Indiana charter school expansion
Gov. Mike Pence told a conference of charter school teachers that the state will add 22 new charters over the next three years. That will boost the state's total to 86.
Purdue to launch its own charter school in Indianapolis
Purdue Polytechnic Indianapolis High School will open in 2017 with a curriculum heavy on science and math, college-level courses, internships, and, for its graduates, guaranteed admission to Purdue.
Ballard education deputy leaving to head up workforce initiative
Jason Kloth, who has been Mayor Greg Ballard’s deputy mayor for education since 2012, will step down Friday to lead a workforce development effort being launched by the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership.
Ballard’s charter schools chief to become VP at Mind Trust
Brandon Brown has overseen the opening of 15 charter schools since 2012, raising the mayor’s charter schools portfolio to 35.
IPS, charter schools discuss common enrollment process
Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Lewis Ferebee said he’s had “very preliminary” conversations with city officials about creating a common enrollment process to be shared by IPS and Mayor Greg Ballard’s portfolio of charter schools.
Charter Schools USA gets OK for south-side school
Florida-based Charter Schools USA, which operates three Indianapolis schools under contract with the state, earned a cautious go-ahead this week to open a charter school on Indianapolis’ south side next year. But the company didn’t get everything it wanted.
Lawmakers pass bill that will let Ritz stay chair of education board
A bill passed Wednesday gives the State Board of Education more authority to oversee Indiana’s ISTEP program and a new grant program that gives more money to charter schools, while keeping Superintendent Glenda Ritz as chair until the next election.
Bills would allow public/charter partnerships to grow
After seeing a 2014 law fuel unprecedented collaborations between Indianapolis Public Schools and such charter schools as Phalen Leadership Academies, the Legislature decided to extend the same opportunity to school districts statewide.
Indy’s charter students grew scores faster than public peers
Students at charter schools achieved twice as much growth on reading and math tests as similar students at local traditional public schools, according to a new study from Stanford University.
State superintendent requests shift in House budget funds
Indiana's state schools superintendent asked lawmakers Thursday to shift money that a House budget plan allocated for charter schools to public schools instead and also outlined her plan to cut the cost of student testing.
Bill seeks to stop ‘charter shopping’ by failing schools
Rep. Robert Behning, who is sponsoring the measure, said: "We should not be taking bad schools and passing them off to somebody else."