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The Indiana legislature鈥檚 push to have the Indianapolis school district and charter schools work together is taking a step backward, with the district pulling out of an important collaboration already in place: a single system parents use to enroll children in both district and charter schools.

Citing both cost and logistical concerns, the Indianapolis Public Schools decided this month to leave the Enroll Indy unified enrollment system that families have used since the 2018-19 school year.

Such systems, in which families can register for district and charter schools on one website, are in place in many cities that promote school choice. They are valued by school choice advocates 鈥� and often opposed by district supporters 鈥� for treating charters as equal to district schools and making it easy for students to leave the district.  

鈥淎 system that routes families away from district schools costs us students and the dollars that follow them,鈥� Courtney Hawk, a parent of a fourth grader in the district, told the school board last week in support of the split.

Families will now enroll in district schools through the district but use Enroll Indy to register for charter schools, with no coordination between the two systems to place students if there is no space for them in the schools they choose.  

Some parents opposed the change because they want to research and choose between district and charter schools in one place, instead of having to look up individual schools, applications and deadlines separately.

鈥淔or busy parents like me, simplicity matters,鈥� Keianna Davis, parent of two children in Indianapolis Public Schools, told the school board as she urged them to keep Enroll Indy. 鈥淲e need more clarity during enrollment, not confusion. IPS parents deserve a system that makes choices easier, not harder.鈥�

That departure from Enroll Indy is the latest battle between the district and fast-growing charter schools, which serve more than half the students in the city. The Indiana legislature earlier this year passed a law taking many powers away from the district and giving them to a new, charter-dominated board called the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation that will oversee buses and school buildings for the district and charters, as well as seek new taxes for both.

IPEC is already asking voters to pass a $95 million per year property tax increase Nov. 3. That tax revenue, which would be split almost equally between the district and about 60 charter schools, would avoid crippling cuts at the district and infuse growing charter schools with millions of dollars.

Included in that law is a requirement that IPEC name a single enrollment system that both the district and charters must use. IPEC leaders have not said when they will pick one 鈥� with Enroll Indy an obvious candidate 鈥� so the pullout from Enroll Indy is legal for now.

But because the district will have no choice once IPEC acts, many observers aren鈥檛 sure what the district has to gain by pulling out now. The confusion has grown after Enroll Indy agreed to waive its $300,000 charge to the district for next school year, wiping out any immediate budget reasons to leave.

鈥淚t seems a little counterintuitive to pull out at this point,鈥� said State Sen. Robert Behning, author of that law. 鈥淚’m not going to take a jab at why they did it. It, to me, is not a logical position for them to be in, but there’s a lot of emotion going on right now.鈥�

Residents and district school board members have expressed frustration that charter schools are taking power from the elected board 鈥� what one resident at a recent board meeting called a plot by the 鈥渃harter lobby鈥檚 fascist Republican friends at the state house鈥� to 鈥渦ndermine public education.鈥�

The departure from Enroll Indy also drew criticism from the office of Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. Shaina Cavazos, director of the mayor鈥檚 Office of Education Innovation sits on the board of Enroll Indy and said the departure will make schools 鈥渓ess accessible, less transparent, and less equitable.鈥�

鈥淚 have seen how it has diversified schools 鈥� district and charter 鈥� where once only the most privileged students had opportunities,鈥� Cavazos said. 鈥淚 believe withdrawing from Enroll Indy undermines that work and sets us back as a city.鈥�

The district鈥檚 position has grown muddled in the past two weeks. After administrators told the public Sept. 11 the district was leaving Enroll Indy and posting reasons for the departure online 鈥� including parents having to use both Enroll Indy and another program the district uses for enrollment 鈥斅� school board members agreed to reconsider the decision when Enroll Indy waived its fees on Sept. 14.

That led to an unusual and confusing board meeting last week in which board members voted to add a motion to remain with Enroll Indy to its agenda, only to be told by board Vice President Nicole Carey that district lawyers advised against overturning an administrative decision by Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and her staff.

Carey said the board can set policy, but the superintendent is charged with making specific decisions. In addition the administration, not the board, has the responsibility to hire vendors to perform services for the district, she said.

 鈥淭his motion is out of order and will not be considered this evening,鈥� Carey said, drawing applause from residents who had problems using Enroll Indy in the past.

Adding to the timing concerns, the withdrawal comes as both the district and charter schools are counting on voters to pass the groundbreaking property tax increase. Scott Bess, a state school board member and founder of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center advocacy group, is concerned that charters and the district are not unifying to show voters the tax can help all schools.

鈥淚 think it can hurt,鈥� Bess said of the split. 鈥淚f there was solidarity. I think it would be easy for the entire charter community, the entire IPS community, to come together and say, 鈥楬ey, look, you need this.鈥� Let’s go.鈥�

鈥淚s there still enough support for the referendum?鈥� Bess asked. 鈥淚 hope that it gets passed. But you know, I also think it puts confusion and just a lot of noise in the air. We鈥檙e what? Six weeks off from the election? It’s not ideal.鈥�

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