Back to class for Indianapolis Public Schools

State of play: This year, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said she's most excited about not having much new to talk about.

• "We're looking forward to settling into all the shifts made last year," she said. "This year we get to just keep executing and getting better."

Catch up quick: IPS has had a tumultuous stretch. In addition to Rebuilding Stronger, the district successfully fought at the Statehouse against a bill that would have dissolved it.

• But it lost the drawn-out dispute over property taxes. IPS will receive fewer dollars under the massive property tax overhaul lawmakers passed, and it will have to share those dollars with the charter schools within its boundaries.

The latest: Although the district is not facing the disastrous outcome it had once feared, it has made some cuts, Johnson said.

• They've shifted personnel, refrained from filling open administration roles and cut spending on contracted services where possible.
• "We've been working really hard to ensure [the cuts] don't impact what's actually happening in schools," she said.

Zoom in: Just as Johnson hoped, these high-level issues weren't on the minds of Shortridge High School students preparing for their first day.

• "I'm excited about meeting all my new teachers and learning even more things," junior Key'Unna Coats said.
• Junior Marleyah Duff is taking a load of STEM courses this year in anticipation of her future as an architect. "I'm excited to see my friends again and see the people, because I feel like this school is a great environment."

That's an impression that principal Andrea Salmon hopes more kids and families start to take away. After three years as principal, Salmon said the school's suspension rate has dropped dramatically and the International Baccalaureate high school is offering college-level courses to all students.

• "We can talk test scores every day, and that's really important. Our kids growing academically is really important," Salmon said at a back-to-school night last week. "But it's also really important that our kids have a space where they come in and feel safe and have friends, and that starts here."

What they're saying: Sophomore Amelia Henderson is a three-sport athlete at Shortridge and ready to be back with her teammates.

• "It's fun to hang out with my friends but also to play the sports."
• Grace Johnson is excited about the sports seasons too, but for another reason.
• "I want to get the 10-plus varsity letters award at graduation," she said. The sophomore, who is Aleesia Johnson's daughter, is also excited about the production of "Noises Off" the theater department is putting on this year.

The bottom line: "I think that there's oftentimes this perception that IPS does not have a lot to offer, or that our students don't get access to a lot of opportunity," Aleesia Johnson said. "And that is a perception that we are working hard to correct through the experiences our students are getting."