Another School Year!

Submitted by: Carolyn Watts, NNW Communities, August 2025

Mr. Emmanuel Harper, Herron-Riverside High School

We are in the season of schools opening for the 2025-2026 school year. Parents and /

or guardians have prepared to meet the various requirements and supplies the

schools have implemented.

Many of us live in the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) school district. What is going on within the district? There has been approval of six new charters (five existing and one new school). The debate within the IPS district is over the property tax

revenue for the schools due to the district having to share money with charter schools.

The result is that IPS has fewer operating funds. These charter schools also struggle to

maintain enrollment and financial stability.

Other factors involving the IPS schools are the dissolution of school districts. The bill

presented was for school corporation reorganization. Although this bill was not passed,

“the issues at the heart of these bills remain important.” (2025 Legislative Session) This

bill proposed that if more than 50% of students in a school district are attending non-

District schools (like charters) would be dissolved under the bill.

All remaining schools would become charter schools. It was explicitly noted that the bill would dissolve IPS. Other districts included the Gary schools. The sponsors of the bill were representatives from Evansville, Hendricks, Boone, and Montgomery counties, as well as portions of Brownsburg. Although these representatives do not reside in most of the areas they target, they represent the sentiments of a larger portion of Indiana. Let us remain aware of the schools in our communities.

Submitted by: Carolyn Watts, NNW Communities, August 2025