IPS Enrollment & Transportation
What is the “IPS Family of Schools” and what is an Innovation School?
The IPS Family of Schools is the total portfolio of schools that IPS supports. It includes three types of schools:
- IPS LEA Schools — These are sometimes called IPS “traditional schools” or “direct run schools.” They are supervised by the IPS Central Office and the elected IPS Board of Commissioners serves as their governing body. These schools receive academic direction and program support as well as operational support from IPS.
- Innovation In-LEA Schools — These schools, such as Cold Spring and Edison, have a higher degree of autonomy. They act as semi-independent schools governed by their own boards. They are part of the district and do not have a separate charter. The schools may participate in academic and operational support to varying degrees.
- Innovation Charter Schools — This includes schools such as KIPP, Adelante, Purdue Polytechnic, and Herron Classical Schools. These schools are charter schools who are not part of the IPS LEA but have entered into a mutually beneficial partnership with IPS. They have their own charter boards and are authorized by a third party organization (the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation or the Indiana State Charter School Board, for example). The charter school leader decides if they would like to receive academic or operational support or if they wish to decline from such assistance.
Do more than half of public school families choose non-IPS schools and is this a transportation issue?
This is a misconception. Over 73% of families attending public schools within the IPS district boundary choose schools affiliated with IPS, including either an In-LEA School or Innovation School. Innovation schools can partner with IPS for operational support like food services, transportation, safety, facilities, and athletics. Recently, charter schools in Marion County saw a slight increase in enrollment — almost all of that enrollment increase was to Innovation Charter Schools who partner with IPS to provide transportation to accommodate many of these new students.
Current IPS Transportation Overview
How many children ride yellow buses every day?
More than 19,000 students ride yellow buses daily out of the 22,000 students served by IPS transportation. The remainder of that 22,000 receive transportation through other means.
How many children receive specialized transportation? Why?
About 700 students receive individualized transportation services due to requirements associated with a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or if they are experiencing homelessness.
Does IPS provide IndyGo transportation for students?
Yes, over 1,400 high school students are assigned to ride IndyGo. In order to be assigned to IndyGo, IPS requires students to live within a mile of an IndyGo stop and not have to change buses. However, parents may request that their child be assigned to IndyGo outside of these regulations. In addition, approximately 400 students attending Innovation Schools are recipients of IndyGo passes bringing the total number of students served to just under 2,000.
Does IPS transportation demand increase throughout the year?
Yes. IPS typically adds approximately 900 more students by the end of each year. IPS processes 4 to 5% (over 1,000) weekly route change requests for new students or those with changing transportation needs, which exceeds the national average of 2 to 3.5%. These changes often involve children leaving charter schools, private schools, or moving to the district from other areas.
Relationship to Charter School Transportation
Do Innovation Charter Schools receive IPS transportation?
Yes. Innovation Charter Schools, because they are part of the IPS Family of Schools, have the option to receive transportation services from IPS. Innovation Schools (Charter and In-LEA) can choose to opt into IPS transportation, contract with an outside provider, or manage their own transportation services. IPS is contractually required to offer services to Innovation Schools in a manner similar to district schools, and most choose to use IPS services. When an Innovation School does not provide transportation, it is by their own decision — not due to lack of availability from IPS.
Do Innovation Schools pay IPS for Transportation?
Most Innovation Schools receive transportation services at no cost. In the rare case that they pay, it is usually at a heavily reduced rate.
Why doesn’t my child’s Independent Charter School provide transportation?
IPS has no formal relationship with unaffiliated, independent charter schools. Questions or concerns about transportation at these schools should be addressed to the charter school’s leadership or the charter school’s board.
Can IPS provide transportation to Independent Charter Schools?
Previously, it was believed IPS could not provide transportation to unaffiliated charter schools. However, as of fall 2024, we have identified mechanisms that allow us to collaborate with unaffiliated, independent charter schools on transportation. We are currently exploring partnerships with two unaffiliated charter schools as part of our broader effort to expand access to transportation across the city.
Partnership with IndyGo
Does IPS work with IndyGo?
Yes. As mentioned above, IndyGo and IPS partner closely and work to provide free transportation to over 1,400 high school students to get to and from school. Bus passes can be used year round and any time of day so this partnership also helps students get around the city more easily, including to and from work if they have jobs.
Is IndyGo safe?
We believe IndyGo is safe for high school students to ride to and from school. IndyGo works diligently to ensure rider safety and has a variety of safety mechanisms in place for riders. To offer our students and families a better understanding of how to use IndyGo, explore our info on riding with IndyGo and a guide that includes safety tips.
Is IndyGo able to meet all transportation needs?
No. IndyGo has limited capacity both in terms of the number of seats on routes that pass schools and their ability to monitor student riders. We estimate that at this time they would struggle to support more than 4,000 student riders. Many routes are already at capacity, which will result in significant delays for all riders especially near larger schools or schools near large employers such as Arsenal Tech or Attucks (near IU Health). We would not want to place students younger than high school age on IndyGo without a parent rider because it is not possible for IndyGo to provide student monitoring.
Are parents happy with IndyGo?
There have been over 800 parental expressions of concern because families are struggling with the idea of children riding public transportation rather than receiving yellow bus transportation. This is especially true for 9th grade students assigned to IndyGo and for whom public transportation is not part of their experience.
Yellow Bus Usage & Costs
What efficiency improvements has IPS made with yellow bus routes?
Over the last three years, IPS reduced bus routes from 300 to 220, saving $8 million annually.
How much does IPS spend per student on transportation? Is that a lot?
IPS spends approximately $2,300 per student each year for transportation. While this is costly, it reflects the operational complexity of serving a large urban district with diverse needs and providing families with multiple school options versus one assigned neighborhood school. This amount is within the national norm range of $2,000 to $2,500.
What would be the impact of “Universal Choice and Transportation”?
Some advocates have pushed for universal transportation without fully addressing the costs and trade-offs involved. If Indianapolis moved to a universal choice model, it would require an estimated 300 to 400-plus routes, increasing transportation costs by as much as double. Conservatively, schools would need to pay roughly $3,000 per student. This shift would also increase driver demand, lengthen ride times to 90–120 minutes, and create inefficiencies like “ghost routes.” The only way to reduce costs would be to make other alterations such as increasing the number of and distance for walkers, reducing the number of bus stops, or eliminating services such as extra-curricular bussing.
What are ‘ghost routes’? Are they costly?
Ghost routes are routes that must be maintained on paper to accommodate a limited number of students and potential demand but are often underused or not used at all. These routes add unnecessary operational costs and inefficiencies.
Transportation Safety
Are IPS transportation providers safe?
Yes. Buses are equipped with seat belts, stop arms, cameras, GPS, and emergency exits. Bus evacuation drills are conducted as required by law. IPS Police monitor buses and respond to emergencies. Specialized transportation for specific students follows all safety regulations.
Are there bus monitors on buses?
Yes. About 90 bus monitors are placed on two-thirds of buses to support children with special needs, assist drivers on crowded buses, and help with complex routes.
Can IPS use ride-share services for student transportation?
No. Ride-share providers do not meet IPS safety standards. Most lack comprehensive background checks, and “Uber for Teens” options have long wait times and limited availability. If a Charter school chooses to use ride-share, the best people to talk to are the charter leaders themselves or to their authorizer as that would not be an IPS decision.
Are charter schools held to the same safety standards as IPS?
Some state and federal safety regulations apply differently to Charter schools. Unaffiliated Charter schools may follow the rules applicable to them; IPS cannot speak to these rules or their level of safety compliance. IPS enforces safety standards for schools using our transportation services.
Walker Safety
Are children safe walking to school?
IPS students classified as walkers must live within certain distances from their school:
- Grades K-5: 1 mile or less
- Grades 6-8: 1.25 miles or less
- Grades 9-12: 1.5 miles or less
Every child who walks to school is given a “safe route to school.” IPS checks routes for hazards like highways, railroad tracks, or missing crosswalks. If hazards cannot be avoided, IPS provides crossing guards to affected areas or assigns transportation to affected children.
Do Innovation School walkers receive safe routes to school?
For all Innovation schools that opt in to IPS transportation, safe routes are provided. If they opt out, routes are provided upon request. The Innovation school may request routes for all student walkers or an individual parent may request assistance.
Do Unaffiliated Charter Schools receive safe routes to school?
Unaffiliated charter schools are responsible for their own policies. IPS is not aware of unaffiliated charter schools providing safe route walk paths to school, but there is no reason we would be made aware because unaffiliated charter schools are not obligated to share that information with us. Concerns should be taken to the unaffiliated charter school’s leadership or the school’s board.
Do Unaffiliated Charter Schools receive safe routes to school?
Unaffiliated charter schools are responsible for their own policies. IPS is not aware of unaffiliated charter schools providing safe route walk paths to school, but there is no reason we would be made aware because unaffiliated charter schools are not obligated to share that information with us. Concerns should be taken to the unaffiliated charter school’s leadership or the school’s board.
What if a parent has a concern about their child’s walking route or bus stop?
Parents of IPS-affiliated students can request a safety review of their child’s walk route or bus stop. Some concerns, like personal disputes or occasional stray dogs, may be harder to address. Families attending unaffiliated charter schools must discuss concerns with the school’s leadership or the school’s board directly.
