SPEEDWAY—A new early childhood education center is set to open in Speedway this fall, aiming to fill a critical gap in childcare access for local families.
The Weston School, a growing network of early learning centers across central Indiana, has announced plans to open its fifth location in Speedway.
It's a community many parents describe as a “childcare desert.”
“Indiana is actually one of the worst states in the U.S. to provide quality childhood education,” said Omar Khan, owner of The Weston School. “Fifty percent of Hoosiers don’t have access to it so we’re on a mission to fulfill that need.”
Khan’s passion for early education is rooted in family. His mother, an immigrant, started the first Weston School in their living room. Since then, the organization has expanded to serve hundreds of children and Speedway is the latest community to benefit.
As the new school takes shape, funding challenges threaten to limit who can access it.
“Speedway historically hasn’t had the same per-household income as areas like the north side of Indy,” Khan explained. “We were hoping to serve families here through the state’s On My Way Pre-K and CCDF voucher programs but unfortunately, this year, that budget got cut.”
The recent state budget reduction slashed voucher enrollment by 60% for the 2025–2026 school year, making it significantly harder for lower-income families to afford care at centers like The Weston School.
“It’s a real shame,” Khan said. “We wanted to prove that a high-quality facility like this could serve voucher families but we’ll still do everything we can to support families here.”
Despite the setback, the school’s commitment to quality and accessibility hasn’t wavered. Designed with the local community in mind, the new location will be walkable for many Speedway families and tailored to their needs.
“This school was built specifically with Speedway families in mind,” said Amanda Davis, The Weston School's Director of Learning and Culture. “Many walk to school, so we designed it around that.”
As construction crews work to complete the project before fall, Khan sees it as more than just another building.
“My mother started this in our living room,” he said. “To see what it’s become now is really amazing.”
The Weston School’s Speedway campus is expected to open later this year and is now accepting enrollments.
