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Chris Bultman will be the newest member of the Indianapolis Public Schools Board of Commissioners. He will represent District 4, the southwest part of the school district.
The IPS school board voted 5-1 on Thursday to appoint Bultman, the regional director of external affairs at Concept Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization that works with Indiana Math and Science Academies. The board interviewed him and finalist Lindsey Cornett in a public meeting on Wednesday.
Bultman will serve through January, when the newly elected District 4 representative will be sworn in.
Both Bultman and Cornett are running for District 4 in November. Bultman’s appointment means he will have some time on the board ahead of the election, unlike newcomer Cornett. He’ll also have to balance joining the board and campaigning.
Bultman is on the ballot for November. Cornett will be added, said the Marion County Clerks’ Office on Thursday. She was originally denied due to what she said was confusion about whether she met the deadline to file.
Board president Hope Duke Star said she voted for Bultman as a decision aimed at the future, adding that “a year from now, we will need some stability on the board.”
The District 4 seat became vacant when former Commissioner Allissa Impink resigned earlier this month after winning the Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 46. During public comment on Wednesday, Impink spoke in support of Cornett.
IPS board members Star, Angelia Moore, Deandra Thompson, Ashley Thomas and Hasaan Rashid voted for Bultman. Board member Nicole Carey voted for Cornett.
Carey said she is concerned about the professional conflict Bultman could face as an IPS board member who also works for a charter organization that aims to enroll students living within the IPS district boundaries.
Star said that even when there is a gray area, she expects all IPS board members to prioritize IPS when they are in their board seats, including Bultman.
Bultman joins the board at a critical time, with five of the board’s seven seats on the ballot in November. It is also the first school board election since the creation of the mayor-appointed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which holds key powers for IPS and charter schools.
Voters will also be asked to decide whether to approve a tax increase, or referendum, that would provide funding for IPS and charter schools that opt in.But even if it passes, IPS is still expected to make $20 million in cuts by the 2027-28 school year.
In his Wednesday interview, Bultman said has experience working with students facing challenges outside of school and with helping families make decisions about where to attend school.
He said his priorities would be improving student outcomes and the district’s financial health while also making IPS a destination for families. Bultman said the referendum is also a key challenge facing the district. He also called for collaboration across Indianapolis’ school types with a focus on improving student outcomes.
Bultman will be sworn in during the school board’s next agenda review meeting at 6 p.m. July 28 at 120 E. Walnut St.
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.
