Common FAQs

What is the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation?

The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC) is a new public entity created to coordinate major shared functions across Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), innovation, and public charter schools, including transportation, facilities, funding, and accountability. Its goal is to make the public education system inside the IPS boundaries more connected, easier for families to navigate, and better aligned around student needs.

How did the IPEC come to be?

Indianapolis has developed a diverse and high-quality public education landscape, but the broader system has not always kept pace. Students attending different types of public schools have often received unequal funding and been served by different structures for transportation, facilities, and accountability. That has made the overall system harder for families to navigate and more burdensome for schools to operate within.The goal of the IPEC is to create a more coordinated approach that works better for everyone.

The IPEC is the result of a law passed in 2025 to create the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA), which was tasked with examining ways schools within IPS boundaries could more efficiently and effectively manage transportation and facilities. The ILEA, a nine-member body appointed by the Indianapolis mayor, had to send recommendations to lawmakers by December 31, 2025. In the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers used these recommendations to write and pass House Enrolled Act 1423, which created the IPEC.

How will the IPEC help?

IPEC is designed to help ensure that all public school students within IPS’ boundaries – including those attending district-run, innovation, and charter schools – have access to key supports that create a strong learning environment. This includes creating a more coordinated approach to:

• Transportation, so access to a quality school is not limited by a family’s ability to drive a child there.

• Safe facilities, so students across school types can learn in healthy environments that support their well-being.

• A common performance framework, so families have clearer, more consistent information about how schools are serving students and so all schools are held to the same rigorous standards.

For parents, that could mean a system that is easier to understand, easier to access, and more focused on students’ needs.

How will the IPEC affect IPS funding?

Under the new structure, IPEC is responsible for proposing and implementing referendums related to operations, school safety and capital (construction). That is a necessary and important shift with implications for students and families.

This shift creates a pathway for resources to flow more fairly to all public school students, including district, innovation, and public charter school students. Public funding decisions can become more aligned with the reality that families across Indianapolis are choosing from different public school options, and all students deserve access to strong learning environments and essential support.

Will the publicly elected IPS board still exist?

Yes. Its authority will be focused on everything that has to do with student learning. This includes oversight of curriculum, staffing, contracts, instructional materials, and school operations. Logistics such as transportation, facilities, and accountability will be left to IPEC.

What do charter school students have to gain from these changes?

Under current policy, public charter schools lack access to funding for facilities and transportation. That means they have to fund those functions from other areas of their budget – like teacher pay or curricular materials – or fundraise to make up the difference. In some cases, charter schools simply forego transportation service because they can’t afford it – making it impossible for some families to access the school that best meets their student’s needs. The creation of IPEC levels the playing field so that all public school students can access the school of their choosing, and all public schools can access safe, reliable transportation and healthy, efficient facilities.

What is the timeline for these changes?

Full implementation begins in the 2028-29 school year, but the IPEC will immediately begin efforts to conduct assessments of transportation systems and school facilities and create a common performance framework.

How can parents get involved in this process?

Better Together is hosting listening sessions for community members to learn more. Please register for one here if you would like to dive deeper. You can also attend IPEC meetings to follow the issues.

Why should I care about the IPEC?

The IPEC will play a key role in ensuring all students within IPS boundaries have the opportunity to attend a high-quality school. Strong schools matter for everyone in the community – whether you

are a parent or a resident and taxpayer. This is an opportunity to create a stronger system that works for all families and students, and having community involvement and input will be critical.

Will IPEC be responsible for closing schools that aren’t showing strong academic results?

IPEC will be creating an accountability framework that all district, innovation, and public charter schools within IPS boundaries have to follow. If schools do not meet the standards set by the accountability framework, they may be subject to closure.

IPS and charter school authorizers will be responsible for monitoring school performance based on the accountability framework and will manage the process of school closure if schools aren’t meeting expectations.

The accountability framework will be developed by November 30, 2027. It will be implemented starting with the 2028-2029 school year.