A new application system that allowed families to apply to many schools through a single website dramatically increased the number of students seeking spots in Indianapolis Public Schools magnet programs.
The district says that, to keep its main priority on the table—raising money for salary increases for teachers and staff—it made tradeoffs that could leave it financially vulnerable down the road.
White, a former superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, was hired in 2013 to put the university on surer footing. The black liberal arts college on the city’s east side had seen a string of presidents come and go since the retirement of its co-founder in 2007.
In a letter to Superintendent Lewis Ferebee and the IPS board, nine lawmakers urged the district to quickly accept a verbal offer to lease the building for up to $8 million.
The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation announced Tuesday that it would give $7.5 million in grants to 24 Marion County schools and districts to help fund substance-use prevention.
Stand for Children Indiana will also launch a vast door-knocking campaign in support of two referendums requesting an extra $272 million from taxpayers, the group announced Thursday.
The emergency manager who oversees the financially struggling Gary school district put 33 closed schools up for sale, but only one property received interest.
Superintendent Lewis Ferebee, who has made reducing the real estate owned by the district a cornerstone of his administration, mentioned the possibility of constructing new buildings during a media briefing this week.
The new proposal—which comes after a week of intense negotiations between the district and the chamber—passed 5-0 at a meeting Tuesday night.
This photo, taken in 1915, shows students operating printing presses at Arsenal Technical High School.
Noblesville Schools announced Tuesday that it wants to expand its operating referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot. The hike would bring in an additional $50 million over eight years while doubling taxes under the current referendum.
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.
