The paucity of candidates comes right as the district embarks on its Rebuilding Stronger plan, a major overhaul to address declining enrollment and an impending fiscal cliff.
State law requires unused school buildings to be offered to charters or state colleges for $1. As IPS plans to vacate seven buildings, officials hope to change that.
IPS is expected to use the money to create sensory-friendly environments for struggling students, peer mentors and professional development sessions on social and emotional learning.
The plan, which awaits school board approval in November, calls for closing seven schools and configuring grades at 39 others in an attempt to cut costs and expand specialized academic programs to more students of color.
Seven schools will close or merge and 39 others will change the grades they serve in a reconfiguration of Indianapolis Public Schools unveiled during the superintendent’s annual State of the District address on Tuesday night.
Two influential groups with strong ties to the charter school movement have both endorsed Hope Hampton over Kristen Elizabeth Phair in the sole Indianapolis Public Schools school board race that’s contested this year.
The bonuses were meant to help the district as it struggled to retain staff during the pandemic. They are being funded with $14 million in federal COVID relief.
Two candidates are unopposed in separate races. A third seat attracted only two candidates. And three incumbent board members chose not to seek re-election after a single term.
Ignite Achievement Academy came to and left Indianapolis Public Schools within four years under challenging circumstances. Yet, the mayor’s Office of Education and Innovation has allowed the school to continue operating as an independent charter school under a new name.
The fate of more than 60 district schools may be determined in the coming weeks, as IPS grapples with declining enrollment in its traditional neighborhood schools.
The story of Purdue Polytechnic High School’s growth coincides with the story of IPS’ shrinking enrollment.
Some of the biggest gains happened at Crispus Attucks and George Washington high schools, which each reported an increase of 20 percentage points for on-track rates compared to last year.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sued Indianapolis Public Schools on behalf of a 10-year-old, who will no longer be able to play softball on her school’s all-girls’ softball team.
Virtual tutoring is the latest addition to a suite of tutoring efforts the district is launching to address academic declines after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The future of Indianapolis Public Schools has come into clearer focus after district officials outlined five potential solutions to the district’s financial challenges, including merging small schools and reconfiguring middle school grades.
Indianapolis Public Schools has spent around 10% of its $213.5 million in federal COVID-19 funding to date. That figure is low compared to other districts in Indiana and across the country, but IPS officials are preparing to spend the full allocation.
Indianapolis Public Schools offered retention bonuses in late March to 3,200 eligible staff members, but they came with an attendance requirement that staff couldn’t take more than two sick days for the remainder of the semester.
The district says the project initially would place solar panel arrays on 20 schools and eventually save tens of millions of dollars in energy costs.
Whether a student can play a sport, study advanced math, or sing in a choir varies widely by where they attend school, Indianapolis Public School officials said at the latest in a series of meetings that raise the possibility of closing some schools.
Indianapolis Public Schools is considering letting Purdue Polytechnic High School North temporarily use part of the building while the charter school’s permanent home is under construction.
