IPS to spend $15M on retention bonuses, more flexibility for teachers
Indianapolis Public Schools plans to spend federal emergency funds on cash bonuses to reward staff who stay with the district, officials announced last week.
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‘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.
IPS likely to close Joyce Kilmer School 69 after losing innovation charter partner
Kindezi Academy, the charter operator that revamped the school in 2016, announced Friday that it would end its partnership with IPS and shut down operations in June due to low student outcomes and facility issues.
IPS considers new charter partner to run struggling west-side school
School 42, a small K-6 school, has faced years of declining achievement that ultimately led IPS to decline to renew a contract with Ignite, its current operator.
IPS offers teacher apprenticeship, principal residency to attract educators of color
Like many other school districts, IPS wants to diversify its teaching staff to be more representative of the students they serve.
IPS hopes to turn former high school into community hub
The Indianapolis Public Schools Board of Commissioners approved a plan Thursday to sell the John Marshall school building to a yet to be determined not-for-profit organization for $725,000.
Indianapolis schools get boost from $30M federal neighborhood grant
Announced Tuesday, the $30 million Promise Neighborhood grant will boost local efforts in the Near Eastside and Martindale-Brightwood communities to address poverty and improve education and community support systems.
Indianapolis Public Schools latest district to join vaping suit
The 2018 Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey found that more than one-third of Indiana high school students had used a Juul product.
Seven of 10 IPS staffers report receiving COVID vaccinations
The vaccination rate is higher among teachers and principals—more than 80%—and lower among classified staff such as custodians and food service workers, said Superintendent Aleesia Johnson.
IPS’ plan to share tax funds with charters draws legal question
The IPS board is scheduled to vote Thursday on a plan to give $5 million per year to charter partners from the district’s 2018 operating referendum.
IPS could share $5M in referendum funds with innovation schools
Responding to urging from families and other advocates, Indianapolis Public Schools is proposing to share $5 million per year from a recent tax measure with its charter school partners.
Indianapolis Public Schools to raise starting salary for teachers to $50,400
The hike is part of a two-year union contract approved Thursday that will give an average 3% raise for teachers this school year and another 3% next year.
IPS enrollment rises as missing kindergartners return
Enrollment trends will drive crucial upcoming decisions on the future of the district, such as considering potential school closures, evaluating choice programs, and adding charter school partnerships.
Indianapolis Public Schools teachers could get 3% raises this year and next
The school board also approved a separate agreement that will award support staff a 2% raise this year. Both agreements are retroactive to July and signal an end to two years of more significant pay increases intended to make up for years of frozen salaries.
IPS erases $18 million deficit but needs to keep cutting
Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said Thursday that she doesn’t anticipate closing any schools by next fall, but she warned that the district must continue to cut costs to avoid falling into the red.
IPS shifts gears to require masks for all staff and students
In light of tighter mask guidance from federal and local health authorities, Indianapolis Public Schools announced Thursday that all students and staff would be required to wear masks indoors when the fall semester begins on Monday.
Vaccinated staff, students can go mask-free when school starts, IPS says
Indianapolis Public Schools students and staff who are vaccinated do not have to wear masks in classrooms when school starts, according to new district guidance. Unvaccinated students will be required to wear masks at school, and the district recommends that staff continue to wear masks around unvaccinated students, especially children under 12 who are currently […]
Indiana ILEARN test scores plunge during pandemic
Results of the annual ILEARN state tests released Wednesday show that 28.6% of students statewide in grades 3 through 8 tested proficient in both English and math. In 2019, the last time the test was given, 37.1% passed.
Tutoring, tech support, therapy: How parents want IPS to spend millions in COVID aid
IPS officials this week are gathering feedback from parents at virtual and in-person town halls and through an online form before deciding how to spend almost $136 million from the latest round of federal aid for schools.
Several Indianapolis districts to offer remote learning options in fall
Four Indianapolis school districts—Pike, Warren, and Lawrence townships, as well as Speedway—have confirmed that they will offer a remote option for students in the fall.