Here’s how some IPS parents envision the future of their schools

(MIRROR INDY) — A group of Indianapolis Public Schools parents wants to play an active role in what comes next for their schools, and they’re making it known through a new online petition.

The IPS Parent Council formed earlier this year in response to a fast-moving and, at times, tense legislative session that put Indianapolis’ largest public school district in competition with the city’s public charter schools over funding.

Merle Sidener Academy 59 parent Anh Nguyen, who helped write the petition, said legislation this year affecting IPS’ budget sparked a desire among parents to get ahead of proposals that could alter the district by sharing their vision for IPS before decisions are made.

“We feel like we were in the passive position, that the bills were given to us,” Nguyen said. “We want to take more of an active approach.”

The group now has its sights set on the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance — a new advisory group negotiated last session by IPS and created by state lawmakers.

The alliance is tasked with exploring transportation and facility use across the public schools within IPS’ boundaries and proposing ways to better serve families across different types of schools. The group had its first public meeting in June and is expected to deliver recommendations to state and local officials by the end of the year.

Though initially skeptical of the group given several of its members’ ties to charter schools, Nguyen said she’s encouraged by IPS’ recent community conversation series, which sought parent input ahead of the alliance’s first meeting. She’s hopeful the alliance will consider the petition she and half-a-dozen other parents crafted.

“We want our voice to be heard,” said Nguyen, who plans to introduce the petition to alliance members during its next meeting on July 23.

So, what do the parents want?

Transparency

Some parents quickly expressed concern after the legislation that created the local alliance said its meetings were not subject to Indiana’s Open Door Law.

Though the law states the alliance must meet in public to vote on its final recommendations, the group is allowed to have private meetings before that.

The parent council believes all alliance meetings should be open to the public. If they’re not open, the council is asking that the alliance publish notice of closed-door sessions at least 72 hours in advance.

The parents would also like to know the time and location of any closed meeting, its agenda and who’s expected to participate. They’re also requesting that meeting notes or summaries be published within five days of the private session.

“Whatever decision that happens, we want it to have a lot of public input, a lot of public hearing, a lot of transparency going around,” Nguyen said. “That will benefit everyone to know that we have a voice.”

Pause on new charter schools

The law that created the alliance also includes a brief pause on new charter schools within IPS’ boundaries.

No authorizer, other than the city charter board, is allowed to grant a charter throughout the duration of the alliance’s work.

The parent council would like to see the pause continue until 2035. That’s four years after new property tax sharing between traditional public schools and charter schools is expected to take full effect.

The parents say that would allow time to assess community needs and whether the tax-sharing is sustainable. They’d also like to see the pause extend to all charter school authorizers, including the Indianapolis Charter School Board.

Though the alliance doesn’t have the authority to make this change, the parents hope the group will include it in its end-of-year recommendations to state officials.

The parents stress that in any decisions made about IPS, they want its school board to retain full governing authority over the district.

Time to prepare for school closures

Along those lines, the parent council is calling on the alliance to create a clear plan for school closures if those are to be included in recommendations.

The parents want to see the rationale for each proposed closure and suggest that families, teachers and staff are given at least 12 months’ notice.

The group wants to see guidance for non-English speakers and enrollment support provided to families should a school close.

“Regardless of what school it is — be it a (traditional) public school or charter school — it’s going to affect the community,” Nguyen said. “We expect that process to be as transparent and as helpful to the parents as possible.”

Repeal the “$1 law”

The parent council is also calling for the alliance to ask for a repeal of the state’s so-called “$1 law.”

The long-standing and often-debated law requires public school districts to offer closing or unused educational buildings to charter schools first for $1.

It was initially enacted under the belief that charter schools don’t get funded by property taxes in the same way that traditional public schools do. Therefore, they should have some opportunity to make use of public buildings.

There’s some carveouts in the law, and IPS has recently challenged it. But, the law’s presence alone has led to frustration among public school districts across Indiana when considering how to close buildings without opening a door to new competition.

And, the parent council points out, that was before the law on property taxes changed. Come 2031, charter schools across the state will be able to collect property tax revenue based on the number of students the school enrolls.

The parent council feels IPS should be able to recoup money spent on their taxpayer-funded buildings, like any other property owner would.

“IPS should be able to sell or rent their facility at a fair market price,” Nguyen said. “I think that one is really a fair ask.”

Review of innovation partnerships

Finally, the parent council offered suggestions on IPS’ future partnerships with charter schools.

The district currently partners with 25 charter schools through something called an innovation agreement. These agreements allow schools partnering with IPS to make use of district services like student meal programs, transportation and facility access.

The parent council believes these partnerships should be limited to five-year terms to allow for regular consideration of how the school is doing. They say these schools should be required to submit to the IPS board an annual report containing financial statements, academic performance measurements, enrollment and discipline data, and teacher retention rates.

Likewise, the council thinks the length of a charter school’s authorization agreement should also be limited to five years. Today, the two most commonly used authorizers in Indianapolis grant charter agreements ranging from seven to 15 years.

The council says this proposal would guarantee accountability for both the charter school and its authorizer.

What’s next?

Nguyen said the council plans to use its petition as a guide, both for talking to local education alliance members and future advocacy among the state and local officials with power to make changes.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance meets next at 6 p.m. July 23 in the public assembly room of the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St. An agenda is available online.

You can visit the alliance’s website to leave feedback online or sign up to give in-person public comment during the July 23 meeting. Sign-ups close at noon July 23.

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.

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