Indianapolis Local Education Alliance Meeting - July 23, 2025

The second meeting of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) was held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building. Mayor Joe Hogsett presided. The meeting focused on foundational data on public schools and a deep dive into school funding, including the impact of recent state legislation (Senate Enrolled Act 1). Key actions included the engagement of a project manager and a public comment period with 18 speakers.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Shawanda Tyson: Mother of two boys (one autistic) who attended both IPS and charter schools; urged the ILEA to measure school effectiveness with data, replicate successful models, and hold all schools accountable without delay.
• Crystal Salgado: Single mother; shared that lack of transportation forced her to leave a charter school that was meeting her son’s needs; asked for transportation to be provided for all schools.
• La Toya Hale: Parent and advocate; asked the ILEA to move beyond the charter vs. traditional debate, use data to grow effective schools, and expand transportation so families can access great schools.
• Virginia Ramos: Educator and grandparent; called for a robust accountability system that includes teacher retention, credentials, attendance, suspension rates, and outcomes for ESL and SPED students; also urged criteria for opening new schools to avoid disruption from closures.
• Vilma Hernandez: Latina mother; asked that Latino students not be forgotten, that all schools be held to the same standards, and that safe, accessible transportation be provided.
• Flor Maldonado: Latina mother; described how her son lacked guidance counseling in high school; urged transparency, strong accountability for all schools, and transportation in every zip code.
• Sarah Tacosti: Teacher with 10 years in IPS and charters; asked for a single local charter authorizer, a moratorium on new charters until teacher and leader shortages are addressed, and a centralized data system to ensure equitable enrollment and services.
• Chris Boltman: Regional director for Indiana Math and Science Academy; noted transportation is a barrier to true school choice and thanked the ILEA for data analytics.
• Gary Evers: IPS graduate and parent; said charter schools are helping black, Hispanic, and low-income students make more academic progress, and urged centering those families in ILEA decisions.
• Katrina Anderson: Parent and grandparent; called for collaboration over competition, consolidation of underperforming schools, and expansion of high-quality programs.
• Kai Vong: IPS Innovation Schools teacher; requested expansion of high-quality programs, a uniform school performance framework, and strong governance to support all students.
• Tanika Patton: School counselor and parent; asked for a uniform performance framework for all schools and expansion of successful models.
• Sasha Fletcher: Parent and grandparent; questioned IPS funding increases despite enrollment decline, demanded transparency in fund allocation, and urged consolidation of effective schools rather than closures.
• Kim Graham: Parent, educator, and advocate; stressed urgency in closing low-enrollment, low-performing schools, expanding high-quality programs, and ensuring transportation; called for the ILEA to act now.
• Adrea McLeod: Music teacher; opposed sharing IPS resources with charter schools that lack transparency and accountability; noted many charter families are unaware their children attend charter schools and that some charters lack music education.
• Anwin Shaw: Representing IPS Parent Council; demanded a moratorium on new charter schools within IPS boundaries through 2035, transparent ILEA meetings, and that the elected IPS board retain full authority over district-run schools.
• Dr. Brian Duarte: Assistant professor at Purdue University; cited research showing school choice markets exacerbate inequality and segregation; urged the ILEA to consider families who choose IPS-operated schools and to reinvest in left-behind schools.
• Mike Saradakis: Member of Central Indiana DSA; argued the ILEA is an attempt to subvert local democracy and privatize schools; noted charter schools often refuse transportation to weed out certain students and that difficult students are pushed out after ADM count day.
• Alejandro Semaniego: IPS teacher and union organizer; cautioned against using transportation to encourage families to escape their neighborhoods; urged investment in neighborhood schools and communities.
• John Cherry: School assistant manager; presented a letter from 21 IPS Innovation charter leaders asking the ILEA to consider facility transfer processes, allow independent facility authority, and ensure the facility assessment is conducted by experts, made public, and includes all relevant facts.

Discussion Items

• Welcome and Introductions: Mayor Hogsett called the meeting to order. Alliance members introduced themselves. Two members (Angela Smith Jones and Andrew Neal) were absent. A quorum was present.
• Charge Revisited: The ILEA’s responsibilities were reiterated: create a comprehensive plan for public schools in the IPS boundary by December 31, 2025, including facility assessment, asset management plan, transportation system, and funding templates.
• Project Manager Announcement: Mayor Hogsett announced Michael O’Connor (Bose Public Affairs Group) as the project manager. O’Connor will coordinate data collection and analysis. Funding for his role will be shared by the City of Indianapolis and IPS. Bart Peterson questioned the funding source; Mayor Hogsett noted the state provided no financial commitment to the ILEA statute.
• Data Presentation: Shana Cavasos (Director, Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation) presented a data report covering 103 public schools in the IPS boundary, enrollment trends over 5 years, student demographics, academic outcomes (iLearn, iRead, SAT, graduation rates), and population/birth rate trends. The data is from state reports (Indiana Department of Education). A mapping tool was also provided. Tina Ongern asked about the count of schools (103 vs. previous 99); Cavasos acknowledged an error and clarified the report includes 103 schools. Maggie Lewis asked about corresponding budget data; Cavasos said it will be part of the next tranche of data.
• Funding Presentation: Andrew Strope (IPS Deputy Superintendent) introduced the three funding sources (federal, state, local property tax) and key terms (tuition support, complexity grant, education fund, referendum, complexity index, charter school grant). He reviewed IPS’s revenue breakdown (43% state tuition support, 35% property taxes, 22% federal) and compared with a mayor-sponsored charter school. Jason O’Neill (Policy Analytics) gave a detailed presentation on the evolution of property tax funding in Indiana, including the 2008 reforms, circuit breaker caps, referendum funds, and the impact of Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA 1) passed in the 2025 legislative session. O’Neill explained that SEA 1 introduces a new homestead credit (10% up to $300, unfunded), scales the supplemental homestead deduction to 67% by 2031, exempts certain personal property, and changes the allocation of operations fund revenue to charter schools from an incremental to a proportional per-student basis. Preliminary projections show IPS’s non-debt property tax revenues declining while the charter share increases. O’Neill estimated a $5 million revenue reduction for IPS in 2026 due to SEA 1.
• Q&A on Funding: Councilor Maggie Lewis asked about TIF districts; she was told the map would be sent out. She also asked about the homestead credit and city budget impact. Bart Peterson questioned why rate increases become less effective after SEA 1; O’Neill explained that the new deductions push the total district rate over the circuit breaker cap, so future revenue growth depends on tax base growth. Toby McLamrock asked about assessed value growth; O’Neill confirmed IPS’s tax base has grown about 6.6% annually since 2019, which mitigates circuit breaker losses but is factored into projections. Weston Young (IPS CFO) clarified the charter school grant (CSG) is still in statute and not phased out. Bart Peterson noted that innovation agreements currently involve in-kind services rather than cash transfers, and that charter schools gaining access to property taxes will shift those arrangements—a topic the ILEA will need to address. Tina Ongern asked about referendum requirements for charters; O’Neill confirmed charters must declare intent to receive referendum dollars and post how they will be used.
• Closing Remarks: Superintendent Alicia Johnson acknowledged a safe All-Star and Indiana Black Expo weekend and emphasized community wraparound support for students returning to school.

Key Outcomes

• Project Manager Engaged: Michael O’Connor (Bose Public Affairs Group) was formally introduced and will provide project management services. IPS and the City of Indianapolis will jointly fund his role.
• Data Report Received: The alliance received and discussed a comprehensive data report on school types, enrollment, demographics, and academic performance. Further data on budgets and finances will be provided at future meetings.
• Public Comment Heard: 18 speakers addressed the alliance, representing parents, teachers, community advocates, charter school representatives, and researchers. Common themes included transportation equity, accountability frameworks, moratoriums on new charters, transparency, and investment in neighborhood schools.
• Next Steps: The alliance will continue data collection through August, conduct deep dives into facilities and transportation in September and October, draft recommendations in November, and finalize by December 31, 2025. The next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, in the same location.
• Motion to Adjourn: The meeting adjourned shortly before 8 p.m.