Indianapolis Charter School Board June 24, 2025 Meeting: Legal Prep Charter Academy Application Approved
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Indianapolis Charter School Board Meeting – June 24, 2025
On June 24, 2025, the Indianapolis Charter School Board held a public hearing and vote on the application for Legal Prep Charter Academy (LPCA) to open a 6-12 campus near downtown Indianapolis. The meeting included recognition of departing board members, public testimony from numerous supporters, a detailed presentation from LPCA leadership, and board discussion focused on financial sustainability, enrollment projections, community engagement, and the school's unique legal-themed model. The board voted 6-1 to approve the charter application, allowing the school to proceed to a pre-opening phase with continued oversight by the Office of Education Innovation (OEI).
Departing Board Member Recognition
- The board recognized departing members Andrea Neely (served since 2015) and Jasmine Jackson (served since 2022) for their contributions. Jasmine Jackson joined virtually from a conference and expressed gratitude for the board's integrity and rigorous process.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Emily Morasco (teacher, LPCA Chicago): Described how LPCA transforms students through legal education, law firm partnerships, and strong relationships. Shared personal success stories of student growth.
- Marquan Morrison (alumnus, LPCA Chicago): Emphasized the school's belief in his future and its impact on his career. Stated he is now a principal team member and supports bringing the model to Indianapolis.
- Armari Parchman (student, LPCA Chicago): Expressed enjoyment of the legal programs and opportunities at LPCA, noting she felt comfortable and heard.
- Tanya Williams (parent and public servant): Spoke to the importance of soft skills and holistic education. Praised LPCA's relationship-building and student engagement based on her observations.
- Jason Brown (chair, LPCA Indiana board): Stressed the strong commitment of the legal community to LPCA, including lawyers donating time, talent, and treasure. Asserted the model will be a beacon in Indianapolis.
- Gerani Washington (staff, LPCA Chicago): Highlighted the professional skills taught at LPCA beyond academics. Noted students ask for life advice, which was unique compared to other schools.
- Ariane Clanton (educator, Indianapolis): Supported LPCA leadership (Sam and Joseph) as rooted in the community. Emphasized the need for leaders of color and family-focused schools in Indianapolis.
- Jacyra Wilson (student, LPCA Chicago): Expressed that LPCA provides a wonderful experience and builds community.
- Keith (community member): Recommended the school formalize a parent-teacher association to give families a voice in governance.
Discussion Items
- OEI Process Overview: OEI staffShana described the rigorous application process, which began with a prospectus hearing in April 2025. LPCA submitted a full application in May, including revisions based on feedback. OEI noted progress in local board recruitment and discipline policy refinement but maintained focus on enrollment/financial sustainability and model fidelity, especially for the new middle school component.
- Legal Prep Presentation:
- Model & Mission: Sam Finkelstein (Executive Director) presented LPCA's legal-themed curriculum for grades 6-12, including daily law classes, dual credit through Ivy Tech, and monthly law firm partnerships. Emphasized that the law theme is a hook for learning, not just for future lawyers.
- Enrollment & Growth: Slow-growth model starting with 56 sixth graders and 119 ninth graders in Year 1 (2026), building to full capacity by Year 4. Facility near Monument Circle is under negotiation; transportation plans include mapping bus routes and participating in a state pilot.
- Financials: Facilities costs projected at 20% of revenue in Year 1, dropping to 13% by Year 5. Budget does not include fundraising; school plans to raise $400,000 annually to supplement operations, including raising average teacher salary to $58,000. Shared services with Chicago campus provide cost savings.
- Community Engagement: Joseph Williams (Principal) detailed ongoing outreach: meetings with community leaders, feeder schools, Empowered Families (nonprofit), and families. Cited specific connections with legal firms (Ice Miller, Faegre), McKinney Law School, pastors, and the Urban League. Noted direct parent interest, including a mother whose daughter wants to become a lawyer to help bring her incarcerated father home.
- Board Governance: Expanded local board with 7 of 9 members living in/around Indianapolis. Includes lawyers from large firms, corporate attorneys, a public sector lawyer, and financial expertise. Actively recruiting Latino and African American women representation.
- Board Questions:
- Jennifer Darby asked about partnerships with Arsenal Tech High School (similar law pathway). LPCA confirmed they met and saw opportunities for collaboration on dual credit and mock trial.
- Andrea Neely raised concerns about sustainability amid legislative uncertainty and the shift to a 6-12 model (LPCA only runs 9-12 in Chicago). LPCA responded that economies of scale with Chicago, aggressive fundraising, and conservative budgeting mitigate risks. Neely also asked about lessons from Shortridge High School's failed legal program; LPCA acknowledged they had not yet visited Shortridge but planned to.
- Jamika Anderson asked about frequency of Sam Finkelstein's onsite presence (he will be in Indianapolis at least one week per month in startup years) and student demographics (aiming to serve underserved communities but welcoming all).
- Marco Dominguez asked about recruitment plans for international communities; he recommended connecting with Immigrant Welcome Center and International Center. Also stressed including arts and financial literacy.
- Board President (Bukett) acknowledged the unpredictability of the charter environment and praised LPCA's experience. Asked about the Peace Warriors program (conflict resolution) and suggested engaging hospitality industry families.
- Andrea Neely asked about engagement with IPS; LPCA admitted they had not directly engaged IPS leadership but are open to partnership.
Key Outcomes
- Vote: The board voted to approve the charter application for Legal Prep Charter Academy. Roll call: Bukett (yes), Jamika Anderson (yes), Andrea Neely (no), Marco Dominguez (yes), Jennifer Darby (yes), Pam Hickman (yes), and the chair (yes) – final tally 6-1.
- Next Steps: The application approval allows LPCA to enter a 12+ month pre-opening phase. OEI retains discretion over the final opening date and may require the school to meet additional benchmarks on enrollment, facilities, staffing, and financial stability before opening in fall 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, good evening. I think I did. Yeah. Good evening. Welcome to the Indianapolis Charter School Board application meeting for June 24th, 2025. At this time, we'd like to go ahead and take roll call to make sure that we have everyone here in attendance. Yes. Jamika Anderson. Present. Andrea Neely. Present. Marco Dominguez. Present. And joining us virtually Pam Hickman. President. And Jennifer Darby. Present. Okay, so I think we have a quorum and uh can get started here this evening. Shaina, would you like to go ahead and say a few things? Okay. I'm sorry that we are on to some board member recognition. Do we need to make a move to accept the agenda or sorry? Um, I'm sorry. I'll go ahead. Hi down to say it. Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm like, hey, I am asking for a little forgiveness. This is my second meeting, and I'm like about ready to pass out with the heat right now. So and I've got a fierce heat headache. So tonight we are returning to the application for legal prep charter academy, representing the last meeting of the spring 2025 application cycle. We look forward to hearing about the applicant's progress, specifically in the areas that we raised at our last meeting. Community engagement, financial planning, enrollment projections, and also clarifying how they intend to communicate their unique model to our community. We will offer additional comments and feedback during our discussion, and then we will end the evening with a vote on whether to approve this application. This vote, as you know, reflects the body's level of confidence that the applicant has met the standards presented in the application and whether they are prepared to move from planning to practice. Staff will share more here in a few minutes about the rigorous process that would follow if the application is approved. With this in mind, I do want to pause for a moment and ask Shayna to jump back in now for some special thank yous this evening for some departing board members. Thanks, Mary Ann. Um I did want to acknowledge in the hustle and bustle of our last meeting. I failed to acknowledge that in April that was our last board meeting for Jasmine Jackson, although I'm sure you all remember her very sharp and thoughtful contributions. Um Jasmine joined the board in 2022. Her experience evaluating charter schools, including her time as an authorizer at OEI, have allowed this body to engage in more careful, thoughtful review that always puts students at the center. Board members, please join me in thanking and honoring Jasmine. But we do have a certificate for you that we will make sure gets to you. Is there anything that you would just like to say as we celebrate your service? Jasmine, are you there? All right, well, we'll let her jump back in. Um I want to acknowledge that tonight will be the last meeting for our board member Andrea Neely. Um Andrea joined the board in 2015, which means that she has been serving in this role for just about a decade, which is probably one of the longer terms of service than that I'm aware of. Um she has consistently held our applicants and our schools to the highest of standards, and we will miss that spirit that she brings in here and in all the spaces that she occupies. Um board members, please join me in thinking and honoring Andrea.
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