IPS Board Sets Vote on Fate of Schools
The Indianapolis Public Schools Board of School Commissioners has announced the date of a vote that could decide the future of four high schools. The board has scheduled a special meeting on September 18 to vote on a recommendation that involves closing and selling Broad Ripple High School, transitioning Arlington and Northwest from high schools to middle schools and closing John Marshall Middle School. Arlington would offer evening high school classes following the proposed transition.
The proposals first came about in April and exploration of the potential transition plan dates back a year. Since then, the state’s second-largest school district has held public meetings and taken online feedback, which it says included 25 community, student and staff meetings. IPS is looking to save millions of dollars through the consolidations and sales of the Broad Ripple Property and two administrative buildings.
If the plans come to fruition, four IPS-controlled high schools would remain: Arsenal Tech, Crispus Attucks, George Washington and Shortridge. State-appointed operator Charter Schools USA runs T.C. Howe and Manual high schools because of poor performance.
During an interview earlier this year on Inside INdiana Business Television, Superintendent Lewis Ferebee said utilization of buildings a big concern for the district. He said the utilization rate of the eight high schools run by IPS is below 40 percent.
You can connect to recaps of the previous meetings and provide additional feedback prior to the vote by clicking here.
Editor’s note: a previous version of the story incorrectly identified John Marshall as a high school.