Indianapolis Panel Backs New Education Corporation — Citywide Busing and Greater Charter Power Spark Debate

Indianapolis officials on a citywide panel have recommended creating a new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation that would run unified busing, manage a single enrollment system and have authority to close underperforming schools. Supporters say the proposal will expand access and equity for charter students; critics call it an overreach that could weaken Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and shift more power to charter operators.

What the Proposal Would Do

The recommendation — submitted to the state legislature by a panel of local leaders — envisions a government entity legally designated as a school district that would:

• Operate a consolidated transportation system for every school in the city, ensuring charter students have access to buses;
• Maintain a single, citywide student enrollment system to simplify school choice; and
• Identify and close schools that are not serving students effectively.

If approved, the corporation would move Indianapolis toward a mayoral-control model with an executive director and a nine-member board appointed by the mayor: three members chosen from the IPS board, three charter leaders and three additional appointees.

Why Supporters Back the Plan

Advocates point to tangible problems the plan aims to fix. Charter schools have expanded rapidly in Indianapolis and now educate more than half of the city’s students. Many charters do not provide buses, forcing families to rely on public transit or find private transportation. The city also has roughly 50,000 school seats but only about 41,000 students — leaving about 9,000 empty seats — while IPS faces a budget shortfall that may require a voter-approved tax increase.

Robert Enlow, CEO of the national charter advocacy group EdChoice, called the panel’s recommendation “historic” and “a bold and courageous direction.” Panel member Andrew Neal argued that requiring all schools to participate addresses a "significant equity issue," saying the plan is an opportunity to serve students who fall through the cracks in a fragmented system.

“This is an opportunity for students…the ones that because of a fragmented system, continue to fall through the cracks.” — Andrew Neal

Concerns and Opposition

The proposal has drawn fierce opposition from a broad range of voices — clergy, community activists, some charter advocates and district leaders — who warned the change could diminish locally elected oversight and concentrate power. Rev. Clyde Posley, president of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Indiana, called the effort a “heavy-handed public overreach” that serves "private agendas" and warned it could invite predatory actors to exploit a struggling system.

During the panel meeting, protesters — including members of the Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America — repeatedly chanted “Unelected!” and “This is a sham!” One attendee climbed onto the platform and was removed by security as the meeting concluded.

Some charter organizations also oppose parts of the recommendation. The Indiana Charter Innovation Center described the requirement that every charter share costs and participate in the unified busing system as an “unfunded mandate,” warning it would place heavy burdens on charter operators without providing funding and could reverse prior legislative advances for charters.

Local Leaders and Next Steps

Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, who helped shape the plan, voted in favor of the panel’s recommendation but called it an “imperfect solution” and urged residents to press the legislature to protect IPS resources and authority. The measure must still be approved by the state legislature, where its prospects are uncertain. State lawmakers supportive of charter expansion, including House Education Committee Chair Bob Behning, expressed general approval of the outcome, while other legislators had not weighed in.

Parents who support the change emphasize the immediate benefits. Christa Salgado, a single mother, told the panel she spent an unsustainable amount of time driving her son across town each day because his charter had no bus service; a citywide busing system would have relieved that burden.

The debate now shifts to the statehouse, where legislators will consider the panel’s recommendation and could amend its provisions. Supporters say the plan could improve access and coherence across Indianapolis schools; opponents worry it will weaken democratic oversight, strain district finances and centralize decision-making away from families and local elected leaders.