Rep. Bob Behning will file bill to exempt IPS from $1 law
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Indianapolis Public Schools may finally be exempted from Indiana's "Dollar Law."
Why it matters: The district has been pushing back against the law that allows charter schools to buy or lease a surplus school building for $1 for the better part of a decade.
Driving the news: Rep. Bob Behning, an Indianapolis Republican and the influential chair of the House Education Committee, told Axios he plans to carry a bill that will implement many of the recommendations adopted by the Indiana Local Education Alliance Wednesday evening.
- That will include a provision that exempts IPS from the Dollar Law.
What he's saying: "Clearly everybody's come together and agreed that we're going to share resources," Behning said. "So I think this is a great opportunity."
The intrigue: Under his bill, the exemption would apply only to IPS. The law would remain in effect for the rest of the state.
State of play: City and school leaders have acknowledged that there are too many schools within the IPS boundaries.
- Part of the alliance's work was looking at how to use facilities more efficiently, and the group recommended that the governing body develop metrics for the opening and closing of school facilities.
- When some schools are inevitably closed, the district (or the new governing body) would no longer be forced to sell that building off for $1, which could allow for better management of resources and the ability to sell off valuable assets to invest money back into classrooms.
What's next: The recommendations call for the creation of a new governing body to manage transportation, facilities, enrollment and property taxes.
- Behning said he thinks the recommendations from the alliance are "solid" and is currently drafting a bill to implement them.
- There will likely be additional language, he said, around the appointments to the governing body to address concerns about how much power the mayor has in the appointments.