INDIANAPOLIS — Some big changes could be coming to Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools within the city as lawmakers consider a plan that would give a mayor-appointed board authority over functions now handled by the elected IPS school board.
There were hours of local testimony to the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance last year, and the legislature is now considering House Bill 1423 based on those discussions. Supporters say the goal is to level the playing field between public and charter schools that operate within the IPS boundary.
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"Charter schools operate in a system where they don't have full access to local property taxes,” Scott Bess, the president and CEO of Indiana Charter Innovation Center, said. “The funding gap is immense. This equalizes that and really starts to bring that idea of money following the child."
Under the proposal, the appointed board would handle transportation for schools, facilities management, and would create an accountability framework for the schools. Opponents say a non-elected board is undemocratic.
"Statehouse representatives are not elected by some board of experts; they are directly elected because that actually works better for government,” Jesse Brown, the City-County Councilor representing District 13, said. “If we just wanted a corporatocracy where we let big corporations and big private money like the Mid Trust dictate policy to us. That's just not America."
Some IPS parents fear their voice won't be heard if decisions are being made by an appointed board rather than an elected one.
"Over and over and over again the resounding message was that people don't want a mayoral-appointed board,” Lindsey Cornett, a parent of three IPS students, said. “Whether they are charter school advocates or traditional public schools, or somewhere in between. Nobody seems to want a mayoral-appointed board.”
Other parents who support the legislation hope the measure could close opportunity gaps they feel currently exist.
"I believe it will hold all schools accountable, and I think that it will be a great thing to have one entity over the buses as well as building framework so IPS can just focus on education,” Dontia Dyson, a charter school parent and supporter of the bill, said.
If the measure becomes law, the board would be asked to create a formula to equally distribute property taxes and other revenue among the schools. The committee is expected to vote on the bill next week.
