IPS Breaks Ground on Expansion at Historic Crispus Attucks
Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) broke ground today on a $44 million expansion of Crispus Attucks High School, marking a new chapter for one of the most historically significant schools in the nation.
The project, which will add four new specialty classrooms, an advanced health lab, and a regulation-size gymnasium to the Attucks campus, is anchored by a $25 million investment from Indiana University Health and the Indy Health District in partnership with the Indianapolis Foundation, and additional funding through IPS bonds. It’s expected to be complete by Winter 2028.
“This expansion isn’t just about new classrooms and a new gym,” said IPS Superintendent Dr. Aleesia Johnson. “It’s about giving the students who walk these halls — both now and in the future — the same opportunities to dream big that generations of Attucks students before them fought for.”
Crispus Attucks High School opened in 1927 under a segregated school board, yet the community turned that injustice into a legacy of excellence by insisting the school be named for Crispus Attucks, the first martyr of the American Revolution.
Elite Black scholars with advanced degrees — who were barred from teaching at white educational institutions — taught at Attucks and built one of the state’s most rigorous learning environments, producing generations of doctors, politicians, scientists, and musicians. The school’s 1955 basketball team, led by Oscar Robertson, became the first all-Black team in the nation to win an open state championship, a feat repeated in 1956 and 1959 that helped break down barriers to integration years before the school itself was desegregated by court order in 1970. Crispus Attucks is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, Attucks continues to raise the bar in academics and athletics.
IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy said the investment reflects an urgent need to build a diverse and talented healthcare talent pipeline as Indiana faces workforce shortages.
IU Health has served as a cornerstone partner for IPS since launching the IU Health Fellows program in 2021 at Crispus Attucks. The program provides critical financial resources, co-creates a tailored medical curriculum, and offers direct career paths for students.
“Our collaboration has given dozens of high school students hands-on training that sets them on a path toward a career in the healthcare field,” Murphy said. “Our investments in the new downtown hospital and the expansion at Crispus Attucks High School are intentional, solidifying our commitment to the area and enhancing educational opportunities for all the students at Attucks who deserve first-class facilities to learn, play and grow.”
Students will continue classes as normal throughout construction.
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