INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) voted in favor of its final recommendations that will shape the future of public schools in our city.
The nine-member board voted eight to one at a meeting Wednesday night.
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A key component of the ILEA’s recommendations includes the creation of the “Indianapolis Public Education Corporation.”
The appointed body will consist of nine members: three IPS board members, three charter school leaders and three members at large.
All must live within the IPS boundary.
The corporation is responsible for the following:
- Has the ability to impose property tax levies;
- Sets and implements policy for transportation services and facilities management for all public schools within the boundary.
- Employs staff to support operations. Manage the unified enrollment system.
- Establish a framework for school accountability
- Creates an advisory board to facilitate collaboration among all entities
Protestors WRTV spoke with say this takes power away from the people.
“There’s attack and attack on democratic institutions. Parents, families, community members are paying their taxes into this system deserve to have elected representation," Brianna Dines with Central Indiana DSA said.
ILEA Members who voted in favor say this reflects a more unified approach across traditional public, innovation and charter schools in Indianapolis.
“I voted enthusiastically in favor because after several months, I really believe this solution, while imperfect, does afford potential to create the equitable ecosystem all our students deserve," IPS board president appointee Barato Britt said.
“I believe this will bring unity to the fragmentation. For me, the driving force has always been students who do not have the adequate resources to be able this fragmented system," IPS innovation school parent appointee Andrew Neal added.
The one member who voted no, IPS district-managed parent-appointee Tina Ahlgren, says she didn’t feel comfortable putting her name on the recommendations as is.
“My no vote came to this really short timeline that we were given to produce these recommendations. We were not able to get to a level of detail that I felt comfortable passing on to the legislature," Ahlgren said.
The decision comes after more than 14 hours of public comment from hundreds of people over the past six months.
Some additional key recommendations include:
- Exempt the Indianapolis Public Schools District and all public charter schools contained within from the Indiana Dollar Law (Indiana Code 20-26-7.1-4).
- The only authorizers of new public charter schools to be located inside the IPS District boundaries will be the Mayor of Indianapolis through OEl and the Indiana State Charter School Board. Existing charter agreements authorized through other entities may operate until the end of their current contract terms. The IPS Board of School Commissioners may also choose to authorize schools through application to the Indiana State Board of Education.
- The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance asks the Indiana General Assembly for full funding of Special Education within the IPS district boundaries and suggests the need for additional work to determine the best model for equitable access and service for the Special Education needs across all public school types within the district boundaries. IPS currently provides full special education funding at a $24 million annual deficit.
The recommendations now head to the Indiana General Assembly for further consideration.
The Mind Trust statement on ILEA decision:
"The Mind Trust applauds Mayor Hogsett and the members of the ILEA for recommending bold, structural changes that create the conditions for a high-quality and sustainable education system for all public school students within Indianapolis Public Schools’ (IPS) boundaries.
We are particularly pleased that the ILEA is recommending the creation of an independent facilities and transportation corporation. Separating the education of students from the management of real estate and transportation is a nationally unique innovation that The Mind Trust has long supported. This approach will expand access to transportation for thousands of students, ensure that facility access is tied to school quality, and create a path to full funding parity by ensuring capital funds are available to charter schools that opt in.
We also thank ILEA members for recognizing the need to safeguard school autonomy by ensuring that IPS and charter schools maintain their governing boards and by including multiple independent charter authorizers in the recommendations. This autonomy is rightfully paired with a recommendation to create a common accountability system so that all public schools, regardless of type, are held to a high standard.
As we now look toward supporting the codification of these recommendations into state law, we acknowledge the need for continued refinement of the details of the plan, including the composition of the board of the new independent facilities and transportation corporation. We also acknowledge that, in addition to this plan, IPS must move with urgency to operate more efficiently to avoid insolvency.
The courage displayed tonight by ILEA members who voted for these bold recommendations should be commended. These civic leaders put politics aside and created a trailblazing roadmap that could set our city’s schools on a path of transformation. We thank them for their service to students, families, and our community."
Mayor Joe Hogsett's statement on ILEA decision:
"For the past six months, I, along with the other members of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance spent hours listening, learning, and discussing on how we can collaborate to ensure a bright future for the Indianapolis education system. I especially want to thank my fellow alliance members and everyone who participated in this process. As mayor, it was a top priority that we keep local voices at the center of any conversation about education in our city.
Tonight, those efforts culminated in a vote on the final recommendations of this alliance, the most noteworthy of those recommendations being to create the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation. I believe this, and other included recommendations, reflect a more unified approach across all school types.
As is the case with any public discourse, I understand what was approved may not be universally liked by everyone. Any sort of healthy policy discussion requires differing viewpoints. These recommendations only mark the first step in the process of adapting the educational landscape in Indianapolis, which now heads to the Indiana General Assembly for further consideration. It is my sincerest hope that local voices- those of our families, educators, and school leaders- remain at the forefront of this conversation going forward."
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Nico Pennisi is the In Your Community reporter for Downtown Indy. He joined WRTV in October 2022. His passion has always been telling the stories of people who often get overlooked. Share your story ideas and important issues with Nico by emailing him at nico.pennisi@wrtv.com.
