New Partnership Aims to Boost Indy School Quality

A new bipartisan, public-private partnership is launching in Indianapolis to address two community education challenges – loss of schools and inadequate access to high quality preschool for economically challenged students.

"I think there is an emerging consensus that preschool is important, but there is not a consensus on what the best way to deliver that is," said The Mind Trust Founder David Harris.

The effort is led by City County Council President Maggie Lewis and Chairman of E&A Industries, Al Hubbard.

A total of 94 IPS schools have closed since 2009. The group finds that operating buildings are only being 70-percent utilized.

"We have a really significant problem with a huge number of IPS buildings right now that are under utilized," said Harris. "We need to stop schools closing in neighborhoods. What can we do to reverse that trend?"

"This group is going to come together and see if they can come up with solutions."

The plan is to make recommendations to the City County Council Community Affairs Committee which will hold public hearings for input and then release final recommendations.

"We’ve been struggling for a long time with trying to bring about fundamental change. It seems like we are tinkering all the time. We just no longer afford to tinker," said Harris. "We are losing kids every single day and we need to make sure that every kid in our city has an opportunity to get a great education."