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In public interviews, two applicants to be the next member of the Indianapolis Public Schools Board of Commissioners stressed their experience working with students and a desire to engage families and the community with the district.
On Wednesday, the IPS school board interviewed Chris Bultman and Lindsey Cornett to fill the District 4 vacancy ahead of a Thursday vote. The interviews were also a preview of the upcoming campaign season as both finalists said they are running for the District 4 seat in the November election.
The seat representing the southwest part of the school district is vacant after former Commissioner Allissa Impink resigned earlier this month. Impink, who won the Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 46, resigned from the school board before the general election, so the IPS District 4 seat would be on November’s ballot.
The appointee will serve until January, when the newly elected member is sworn in. That person will serve the remainder of Impink’s term through the end of 2028.
Bultman is the sole candidate on the ballot, but Cornett said she plans to run as well. She is currently considering appeal options or running as a write-in candidate after her candidate paperwork was denied due to what she said was confusion about whether she met the deadline to file.
Whomever is selected in the meantime will join the school board at a critical time. Five of the board’s seven seats are on the ballot, and voters will also decide whether to approve a tax increase, or referendum, that would provide funding for IPS and charter schools that opt in.
The IPS school board used to have the power to put a tax increase on the ballot, but that’s now under the purview of the mayor-appointed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which was created by state lawmakers earlier this year.
This week, IPEC members decided to ask voters for a property tax increase of 37 cents per $100 of assessed value. Even if it passes, IPS is still expected to make $20 million in cuts by the 2027-28 school year.
Meet the applicants for District 4 IPS school board member
Chris Bultman
Bultman is the regional director of external affairs at Concept Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization that works with Indiana Math and Science Academies. He previously worked as a teacher and on the culture team at Indiana Math and Science where he worked with students facing challenges outside of school.
If appointed, he said his priorities would be improving student outcomes and the district’s financial health while also making IPS a destination for families. He also noted that the referendum is a key challenge facing the district.
Bultman said this moment calls for strong collaboration across Indianapolis’ school types and that disagreement is OK as long as the main focus for all schools working together is improving student outcomes.
Lindsey Cornett
Cornett, a writer and editor for congregation engagement at Englewood Community Development Corporation, described herself as a fierce advocate for IPS. She’s also a former Florida public school teacher and mother of three IPS students.
If appointed, Cornett said she would do her part to get the referendum passed and “offer stability, representation, and camaraderie with the residents of our district” during IPS’s time of transition.
She added that channeling the community’s energy and love for Indianapolis and individual IPS schools is a great opportunity for the district. The biggest challenges are finances and holding IPEC accountable, Cornett said. Going forward, she said the focus needs to be on data-driven decisionmaking for student outcomes and making sure schools have the resources they need before new ideas are launched.
Impink attended the meeting and spoke in support of Cornett during public comment.
This is the second time this year the IPS board has filled a vacancy due to a resignation. Hasaan Rashid was appointed to the board in March.
MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
