INDIANAPOLIS — The superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools is sharing her vision for the future of the district.
In the annual address Wednesday, Dr. Aleesia Johnson talked about the struggles, the achievements and what is next for IPS students. The "Rebuilding Stronger" plan was front and center.
Johnson revealed a timeline for some of the planned improvements. She said the district is already making upgrades at 20 schools this year, with plans for more schools next year. She said 30 schools will have updated heating and air conditioning systems by the end of this month.
Currently, a half-dozen schools are being redesigned and more will be redesigned next fall, improvements made possible by a $410 million referendum voters approved in May.
Johnson also addressed efforts to expand pre-K to more neighborhoods in the city and plans to provide more access to athletics from kindergarten to 12th grade.
The district, like many others across the country, has faced a lot of challenges. That includes the fight with Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita over the so-called “$1 law.” The law requires districts to sell or lease underutilized buildings to charter schools for just one dollar.
ILEARN results showed a 2% drop, and the future of Rebuilding Stronger is in question after only half of the money has been approved by voters. The goal of the plan is to improve achievement for all students, show significant gains for Black and Latino students and increase graduation rates and enrollment.
Johnson said the district is also celebrating some wins. According to the superintendent, student performance in reading and math is now at or above the level it was since before the COVID-19 pandemic. She said IPS is the only district in Marion County that can say that.
Among the state's larger districts, IPS is number one in growth in the last four-year growth in both subjects, which Johnson said is a nationally significant achievement.