IPS school board interviews applicants for vacant District 2 seat

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An assistant professor and a community advocate have applied to fill the vacant District 2 seat on the Indianapolis Public Schools board.

The board interviewed Bryan Duarte and Hasaan Rashid at a meeting on Tuesday ahead of its vote on Thursday to fill the seat. Former board member Gayle Cosby announced her resignation from the seat earlier this month, citing health challenges.

The board is expected to select the new member at its action session on Thursday.

The new board member will serve until the next general election in November, when the seat will be on the ballot along with three others.

Duarte is an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at Purdue University. In public meetings held over the last year, Duarte has advocated for a fully elected school board to maintain control over public schools and has questioned the creation of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which lawmakers established earlier this year to oversee certain aspects of public schools’ operations. (Duarte has stated that his comments or desire to apply for the seat are not reflective of the university).

Rashid is the founder of the annual Brendon Park Live Music Festival, which offers scholarships to graduating seniors. He also ran against Cosby for the District 2 seat in 2024. In that election, he won the endorsement of Stand for Children Indiana — a parent advocacy group that has supported expanding high-performing charter schools — and RISE Indy, which runs education-focused programs for district and charter schools and has connections to prominent school choice advocates.

The newest commissioner will join the board at a particularly fraught time for the district. IPS, which already projects ending the year with a $40 million cash deficit, will run out of money without an additional property tax increase that voters must approve on the November ballot.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, whose members will be appointed by the mayor, will assume control over buildings and transportation for district and charter schools. It will also assume many powers historically reserved for the elected school board — including the ability to collect and levy property taxes and control school buildings.

Both applicants said they would consider running for the District 2 seat in November.

At the interview Tuesday, Duarte stressed his experience as a former teacher and his educational research background. Rashid, meanwhile, emphasized his connection with District 2 as a community leader.

Both said they would set aside differences between school types — a divisive topic as relations between advocates for traditional and charter schools have soured in recent years — and focus on student outcomes.

Asked about the district’s current financial challenges, Rashid said property tax caps that lawmakers implemented in 2010 have limited the district’s revenue.

“Some things are going to have to be cut and we have to be clear and concise on what is best for the students,” he said.

Duarte said IPS has been good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and also said state legislation has adversely impacted the district. The district needs to ensure it does not exacerbate inequalities in any potential budget cuts, he said.

“I’m unwilling to compromise on meeting the needs of the people who have historically been left out of choice,” he said.

The school board will vote at 6 p.m. on Thursday at 120 E. Walnut St.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.