Task force recommends 'imperfect solution' to unify IPS and charter school operations

A state-mandated task force led by Mayor Joe Hogsett voted to create a new government agency to oversee shared operations for both the Indianapolis Public Schools district and the city's charter sector.

In an 8-1 decision Wednesday evening, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance recommended establishing the nine-member commission. If approved by state lawmakers, this new agency called the Indianapolis Commission for Education, would act as a logistical bridge between the district and charter schools, managing unified busing, enrollment and facility use.

The vote took place during a chaotic meeting marked by intense disruptions. A person was removed by police after running on to the dais and yelling. Some attendees screamed and shouted as the final recommendation was read.

This comes after months of debate over how to solve the city's operational inefficiencies in the district and charter schools. And after years of a fragmented education landscape, where IPS and charter schools have long competed for students and funding. There are around 42,600 students attending a public school in the district boundaries.

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, a member of the task force, framed the vote as a necessary step forward despite the plan’s flaws.

"The proposal tonight is an imperfect solution for a challenging set of realities," Johnson said. "The reality is that we have too many schools within our boundary, which drains resources and creates uneven access to opportunities."

The proposed Indianapolis Commission for Education would not replace the existing IPS Board or nonprofit boards of charter schools or dictate curriculum. 

Beyond creating a new agency, the recommendation asks the Indiana General Assembly to fundamentally change the laws governing Indianapolis schools. The commission would manage a single, city-wide busing strategy for IPS and charter schools. 

The proposal also seeks to exempt IPS from the "Dollar Law." This controversial state law currently mandates that school districts sell vacant buildings to charter schools for $1. Instead of forced sales, the new commission would oversee a "master leasing" process to match charters with underused district space.

Hogsett did not speak before or after the vote. In a statement sent out later, he said what the ILEA approved may not be universally liked by everyone but "healthy policy discussion" requires differing viewpoints.

"These recommendations only mark the first step in the process of adapting the educational landscape in Indianapolis, which now heads to the Indiana General Assembly for further consideration," he said in the statement. "It is my sincerest hope that local voices- those of our families, educators, and school leaders- remain at the forefront of this conversation going forward."

Limiting new charter authorizers

The recommendation also proposes significant changes to how new schools are created in the city. To better coordinate growth, the plan would limit who can approve new charter schools within IPS boundaries.

Charter schools are tuition-free public schools managed privately by nonprofit boards rather than elected officials. These boards operate under contracts granted by one of several authorizers in the state.

Under the proposal, only the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation and the Indiana Charter School Board would be permitted to authorize new schools. The IPS Board could also authorize schools, and its recently started the process to get state approval. Existing charter schools authorized by other entities would be allowed to operate until their current contracts expire.

The ILEA also directed a specific request to the Statehouse regarding the cost of special education. The task force is asking the General Assembly for "full funding" of special education services within the IPS district boundaries.

According to the recommendation, IPS currently covers a $24 million annual deficit to provide these federally mandated services. The ILEA suggested that further work is needed to determine how to provide special education services to students across all public school types.

Andrew Neal, CEO of Outreach Indiana and a task force member, argued that these structural changes are necessary to stop failing the city’s most vulnerable youth.

"So while, while this is not a perfect proposal, I can tell you that I am eager to move forward with this," Neal said.

'Vague' details

The recommendation also drew sharp criticism for lacking specifics. Tina Ahlgren, the appointee representing district-managed school parents, cast the sole vote against it.

"I find my biggest reason to vote no is the level of ambiguity in the plan," Ahlgren said. "I find these recommendations falling into this bizarre zone of simultaneously feeling both too much and not enough, bold in some areas but overly timid in others, with vague promises that the ecosystem will sort itself out."

Other member Barato Britt of the Edna Martin Christian Center, acknowledged Ahlgren’s concerns but voted in favor to keep the process moving. 

But most of the ILEA members stayed silent and offered no public comments about the plan, including former mayor Bart Peterson and City-County Council Majority Leader Maggie Lewis.

The proposal now moves to the Indiana General Assembly, which must pass legislation to formally create the Indianapolis Commission for Education and other changes. Lawmakers are set to reconvene on Jan. 5, 2026.

Eric Weddle is WFYI's education editor. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org or follow him on X at @ericweddle