Lawmakers urge IPS, charter school collaboration on facilities and transportation
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A new legislative proposal wouldn't force Indianapolis Public Schools and the charter schools continually cropping up throughout the district to merge facilities or transportation services — but it would look at how it could be done.
The big picture: State lawmakers introduced several proposals targeting IPS this year, seemingly aimed at forcing the district to share more resources with charter schools.
- Bills to dissolve the district and take control of its facilities and transportation services haven't moved forward, though lawmakers are still contemplating changes to Indiana's property tax system that would affect schools statewide.
Driving the news: The creation of an "Indianapolis Local Education Alliance" was introduced Wednesday morning in the House Education Committee as an amendment to Senate Bill 373, which deals with several unrelated education issues.
- The alliance would be a nine-person board tasked with conducting a facilities assessment for all public school buildings within IPS boundaries. It would also develop a plan for how to manage all facilities within those boundaries — those belonging to both IPS and charter schools — under a new governing body and provide transportation to them.
State of play: Education committee chair Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, authored the amendment, which also included language from a bill Behning authored but didn't move earlier in the session.
- In addition to the IPS proposal, Behning's amendment creates centralized facilities and transportation pilot programs that school districts and charter schools may apply to participate in, looking for unique ways to find efficiencies together.
- Behning said the alliance idea came from IPS board members.
Yes, but: At least two IPS board members, Gayle Cosby and Allissa Impink, oppose the alliance as written.
- "The original spirit of the concept was to provide technical expertise and shared planning to inform the district's work, not to circumvent it," Impink told the committee.
- Behning told Axios the only concerns he's heard have been about the makeup of the board and who gets to appoint people to it — including the governor, who currently gets three appointees. He said he's open to discussion about that.
Context: The legislation aimed at IPS stems from a larger, yearslong discussion about charter school funding in the state.
- The charter school sector argues that it should be funded the same way as traditional public schools and given an equal share of local property tax dollars.
- IPS has grappled with how much money to share from the property tax referendums while some charters struggled to provide services like transportation.
- Currently, the district shares with charter schools it has formal partnerships with but not all within its boundaries.
Between the lines: It's likely that lawmakers will force school districts to share some property tax dollars with charter schools.
- Behning told Axios it's possible that the tax sharing proposal, Senate Bill 518, will get amended into Senate Bill 1, the larger property tax overhaul proposal, but that it's likely that IPS (and all schools) will have to adjust to this new world.
- "If that is the world," Behning said, "what's the best way to share those assets?"
What he's saying: Behning said his vision for the alliance's plan would be something akin to the county's capital improvement board, which would hold and manage all of the area's public school building and transportation infrastructure.
- "I'm trying to say, 'Think big,'" he said.
The intrigue: Though not unheard of, it is late in the legislative session to introduce a brand new concept.
- Some opposed to the alliance questioned the timing, particularly with the opportunity for public testimony occurring during IPS spring break.
What's next: The House Education Committee is expected to take a vote on the amendment and bill next week.
- Should the language be adopted and the bill signed into law, the alliance would begin meeting this summer and deliver its recommendations by year-end.