The first thing a student might notice in Burkhart Elementary School’s new sensory room is the light tube. Or maybe the slide. Or the trampoline and crash mat.

Perry Township Schools is raising wages for new and current bus drivers as the district continues to face staffing strains, even though it redrew some school enrollment boundaries earlier this year to try to ease the problem.

Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI are partnering to provide more coverage of the township school districts and the students they educate.

More than 75,000 Marion County students head back to school in July, weeks before the vast majority of the nation’s children.

Brittany Tinkler of Rosa Parks Elementary in the Perry Township schools received the Milken Educator Award.

The superintendent of Perry Township Schools, Pat Mapes, will retire at the end of this school year.

Next summer 2,300 K-4 grade students will be forced to switch schools after the Perry Township Schools Board ended open enrollment and will enforce boundaries for elementary schools.

Perry Township Schools will vote Dec. 12 on a school redistricting plan to reduce bus routes as the district faces a persistent driver shortage.

Three of seven school board seats are up for election in Perry Township schools, a district of around 16,000 students located in south Marion County.

Some Indiana school districts are attempting to ease the burden of students in need by partnering with a mobile app that allows community members to find out what students need, and purchase it anonymously.