INDIANAPOLIS — The state's largest school district intends to reopen schools as scheduled in August.
Indianapolis Public Schools is working on plans to protect students from two different threats – the COVID-19 pandemic and racism.
In less than six weeks, IPS students are expected back at their desks.
School administrators are still working out plans to protect kids, teachers and other employees from COVID-19.
"There is no lack of complexity when thinking about how you do school," Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said.
IPS has more than 30,000 students, speaking 84 languages, riding hundreds of bus routes, to scores of schools.
"We have been working really since March," Johnson said.
A number of safety protocols are being considered. IPS intends to offer students a full-time e-learning option.
In an ongoing survey, one third of parents said their children would use it. Another third say they have a COVID-19 vulnerable person in their home. A significant number of parents said they would drive their children to and from school.
At the same time, the IPS board is wrestling with a new racial equity policy. Johnson calls it powerful.
"I think there is power in naming the ways in which our school board has historically engaged in racist policies," Johnson said.
"[...] to often privileging the prejudice of white parents," the policy says. "Over the interest of Black and Brown students."
Crispus Attucks High School is one example. It opened in 1927 as a school for Black children. The segregation continued until the federal courts got involved in 1970.
The impact of segregation and other practices continues today, the new equity policy says.
'We have done some work but we know there is a lot more work to do to ensure we are in fact a racially equitable district," Johnson explained. "The data right now does not bear that out."
The policy requires IPS to identify and correct institutional racism and inequitable practices and provide all students the opportunity to succeed.