The IPS Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) Community Survey Summary

This summary highlights key findings from our recent IPS ILEA Community Survey, which ran November 13 to December 5, 2025. The feedback is intended to inform the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) before it votes on recommendations that will affect transportation, facilities and governance at schools throughout the IPS boundary for traditional, innovation and charter schools.

The survey results have been shared with the ILEA to support the alliance’s decision making before its final recommendations are submitted to the state legislature before the end of the year.

Engagement Overview

The survey received a strong, diverse response: 2,192 unique responses from 550 individuals were collected. This robust participation indicates a high level of community interest in the ILEA’s work and the future of education within the IPS boundary.

Survey Results at a Glance

• Based on the community feedback:
• 89.5% expressed overwhelming support for an immediate moratorium on the launch of new charter schools 
• 90% supports the legislature repealing the $1 charter law, which currently forces IPS to offer buildings for just $1
  • 78% believe IPS should be able to control and sell facilities at market value
• 93.5% are against dissolving traditional IPS schools, and are also against an all-charter school district
• 85.1% prefers that IPS maintain a fully elected school board for its governance structure
  • 61.5% believes the elected IPS School Board should be the sole charter school authorizer 
• 93.6% showed strong support for requiring charter schools to contribute to shared service costs
• 87.6% supports requesting more state funding for schools
• 55.3% agrees with raising property taxes through a referendum to support school operations
• 75.6% opposes the district making significant changes to student transportation, specifically expanding the walking radius 

A Deeper Dive Into Survey Results

Facilities Management

The results illustrate a nearly unanimous opposition to the current Indiana state law that mandates the sale or lease of unused IPS school buildings to charter schools for $1. Respondents also indicated a strong preference for granting IPS the authority to decide the best use of its unused facilities.

1. Opinion on the State Law Mandating Sale/Lease of Unused Buildings 

The data reveals an overwhelming rejection of the state law (the $1 law) that mandates the sale or lease of unused IPS school buildings to charter schools for $1. (Image 1)

• Overwhelming Majority for Repeal of the $1 Law:90% of respondents believe “The ILEA should ask the legislature to repeal this law.”

• Minimal Support for the $1 Law: Only 2.5% of respondents believe “The ILEA should support this law.”

2. Preference for Deciding the Best Use of Unused Facilities 

The data clearly shows that respondents believe IPS, rather than the state or other entities, should have control over its unused facilities and the associated revenue. (Image 2)

• Strong Majority for IPS Control:78% of respondents believe “IPS should decide the best use of unused facilities, including selling them at market value to invest in other buildings.”
• Support for Community Needs:16.5% believe that “These buildings should serve other community needs, such as providing space for nonprofits or housing.” 
• 1.4% believe that “These buildings should become new charter schools.”

School Governance

1. Preferred Choice of School Governance Structure 

The data shows a clear and overwhelming preference for maintaining the current governance structure of an elected school board. (Image 3)

• Overwhelming Majority for Elected Board:85.1% of respondents believe “IPS should continue to be governed by an elected board, so the members are accountable to the community who elects them.”
• Support for Mixed/Appointed Board is Low:9.5% believe “IPS should be governed by a mix of appointed and elected board members.”
• Minimal Support for Multiple Charter School Authorizers Governing IPS:7.1% chose “There should continue to be multiple charter school authorizers” as their preferred IPS governance structure.

2. Preferred Choice for Charter School Authorization 

The data indicates a strong preference for a single, centralized charter school authorizer, specifically IPS, rather than continuing with multiple authorizers or transferring the role to the Mayor’s Office. (Image 4)

• Strong Majority for IPS as Sole Charter Authorizer:61.5% of respondents believe “There should only be one charter school authorizer, and it should be IPS.”
  • 10.7% believe the sole authorizer should be “the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.”
• Low Support for Multiple Authorizers:7.1% of respondents believe “There should continue to be multiple charter school authorizers.”

School Types

The results show a strong perception that the current public education environment in Indianapolis is not collaborative and that the existence of multiple school types (traditional, innovation, and charter) leads to unnecessary duplication and inequity.

1. View of the Way the Public Education Environment Operates 

The data indicates a prevailing view that the public education environment across traditional, innovation, and charter schools is not working together effectively. (Image 5)

• Majority View: Not Collaborative: A vast majority, 67.8%, state that the relationship is “Not Collaborative.”
• Combined Collaborative View: The total percentage of respondents who see the environment as Very or Somewhat Collaborative is 24.0%.

2. View of Having Multiple Types of Schools Operating in Indianapolis 

The data suggests that most respondents believe having 49 district schools and 54 charter schools operating concurrently is detrimental to the city. (Image 6)

• Majority View: The number of schools in Indianapolis creates duplication and inequity:61.3% believe having multiple types of schools “leads to unnecessary duplication and inequity.”
  • 21.5% believe it “encourages innovation but makes coordination and city resources harder.”
  • 10.2% of respondents believe it “provides healthy competition and more options for families.”

Funding 

The following reveals strong support for increasing school funding via state and local sources, but significant resistance to changes in student transportation, particularly expanding walk radius.

1. School Funding Preferences 

Respondents strongly favor increasing school funding, both by raising local property taxes and by requesting more money from the state legislature.

• Request More State Funding: An overwhelming majority, 87.6%, said “Yes” to the idea of IPS requesting more funding from the state legislature. (Image 7)
• Raise City Property Taxes:55.3% said “Yes” to raising city property taxes to increase school funding, while 28.9% said “No.” (Image 8)

2. Charter School Contribution to Service Costs 

There is near-unanimous agreement that charter schools should contribute to shared service costs.

• Require Charter Contribution:93.6% of respondents said “Yes” to requiring charter schools to contribute to transportation and other service costs. (Image 9)

3. Student Transportation Changes

Respondents generally oppose changes to current transportation practices, specifically regarding the use of public transit and expanding the walking distance for students.

• Expand Walking Radius:75.6% said “No” to expanding the current walking radius for K-12 students, while 12.4% said “Yes.” (Image 10)
• Send More Kids to IndyGo:45.1% said “No” to sending more kids to school on IndyGo (the public transit system), while 27.8% said “Yes.” (Image 11)

Funding

The data shows very strong support for pausing the creation of new schools, a firm rejection of dissolving IPS traditional schools, and mixed views on boundary changes and school closures.

1. Structural Changes and School Type 

There is a clear opposition to IPS becoming an all-charter district. However, closing some schools of all types (traditional, innovation and charter) is supported by a plurality.

• Strong Opposition to Dissolving Traditional Schools: An overwhelming 93.5% of respondents said “No” to the idea of dissolving IPS traditional schools completely to move the city to an all-charter or all-innovation system. (Image 12)

• Overwhelming Support for a Moratorium on the Creation of New Charter Schools: Nearly nine out of 10 respondents (89.5%) said “Yes” to imposing a moratorium on the creation of new charters (no new charter schools). (Image 13)

• Plurality Supports Closing a Mix of Schools:45.3% of respondents said “Yes” to closing a mix of schools across traditional IPS, innovation, and charter. However, 35.1% said “No,” and a significant 19.1% were unsure. (Image 14)

• Majority Opposes Transferring District Schools:52.7% said “No” to transferring district schools outside the city center into surrounding districts (e.g., Warren, Washington Township, etc.). (Image 15)