As the group studying Indianapolis education’s future nears its end-of-year deadline, a key state lawmaker is sending IPS a message: Make transformative changes or state legislators will do it for you.
One way for IPS to do that, Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, recently suggested, would be to pursue a school transportation authority — essentially a board that would oversee bus systems for all types of schools within IPS district limits.
It’s an idea members of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance plan to speak about during a public meeting next week, alliance member Maggie Lewis told Mirror Indy.
Lewis, who is also majority leader of the City-County Council, said an authority could help solve challenges some independent charter schools experience when it comes to financing and scheduling busing for their students.
“I think it will be one of the options that we’re going to look at, absolutely,” Lewis said.
City and state policymakers candidly shared their thoughts for IPS’ future during an event Wednesday, Nov. 12, sponsored by the influential charter incubator, The Mind Trust.
The conversation was branded as a night to discuss the challenges schools across Indianapolis face when transporting students to and from school.
The panel discussion was attended mostly by other charter school leaders and supporters who have long taken interest in resource sharing between one of the state’s largest school districts and the charter schools within its boundaries.
Absent from the room were any representatives from the IPS school board or district leadership.
“I would love to see additional savings long term,” Behning said during the panel discussion, “then provide transportation to every kid who deserves an opportunity to choose a school that best fits their needs.”
Even if schools come together on sweeping changes, though, the conversation has some wondering if it will make a difference.
Lakesha Stewart, a mom from the Nora area, said she came to the panel discussion to learn more about how school transportation works in Indianapolis. She moved to the city two years ago and sends her daughter to Allegiant Prep Academy on the west side.
Stewart said she drives 30 minutes some days to drop her second grader off at a day care close to the school. Allegiant Prep doesn’t provide transportation, but the day care gives her daughter a ride there once Stewart drops her off in the morning.
Even if Allegiant Prep provided its own transportation, Stewart said, she’s not sure if she would use it.
“It’s so far,” she said of the distance from her home to the school. “I don’t know how impactful it may be.”
What is a school transportation authority?
An Indianapolis school transportation authority could centrally direct routes before- and after-school or for field trips or special events for all school types, eliminating confusion over which schools offer busing and which don’t.
Indianapolis is currently served by a hodgepodge of different school transportation options. IPS provides yellow bus transportation for more than 19,000 students across the city. That includes for those attending schools that are directly managed by IPS; innovation schools, some of which are charter schools that partner with IPS; and one independent charter school.
But, some independent charter school networks, such as Victory College Prep on the southeast side, have negotiated their own transportation contracts separate from IPS. And more charter schools still, such as Paramount Schools of Excellence, offer very little transportation.
It’s created a school choice system in Indianapolis that doesn’t offer true choice, the panelists repeatedly mentioned Nov. 12.
“I don’t think choice works if you don’t have the ability to get there,” Behning said.
If given the time for planning, IPS Chief Operations Officer Bill Murphy said on a recent media tour that the district has the ability to scale up its transportation services to provide routes for every public school within IPS boundaries.
Murphy expressed skepticism about the transportation authority model. He pointed to a few cautionary tales, including a long-delayed California high-speed rail project managed by an authority and an attempt a few years ago by three Indianapolis charter schools to strike out on their own for transportation.
Murphy said he thought the charter school collaboration was “a really bold experiment,” but felt their plan wasn’t well executed.
“They were burning through the money that they had for transportation really quickly,” Murphy said. “I am very much in favor of innovation. I am also very much in favor of not disrupting the life of children.”
Why now?
Behning, who chairs the House education committee, says he’s long been a proponent of the transportation authority idea, though it’s really gained traction this year as the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance has been meeting to talk about school transportation and facilities.
The alliance’s members include mayoral appointees, the superintendent of IPS and several district appointees. The group is charged by state lawmakers with making recommendations for transportation and facilities changes by Dec. 31, meaning this month has led to a flurry of community meetings and listening sessions.
Lewis, who sits on the alliance chaired by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, said she’s heard calls from some to limit recommendations. But the councilor, who also serves on the board of The Mind Trust, cautioned that keeping the status quo would only open IPS up to future scrutiny from state lawmakers. After all, it was less than a year ago that a northern Indiana lawmaker’s bill threatened to dissolve the district entirely.
“Doing nothing is not an option,” Lewis said. “We have to do something. This is the moment that we’re in and true leadership requires us to take a position.”
The mayor’s role in school transportation
If you go
Indianapolis Local Education Alliance
🗓️ 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19
📍Location to be announced on the alliance’s website
She said the alliance is likely to present the transportation authority idea during its next meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 19 as part of a series of options for consideration. Those options could then be part of the alliance’s end-of-year recommendations.
Lewis said alliance members have also talked about leadership within IPS, including the role elected school board members and administrators play.
District governance became a major focal point last month as alliance members heard presentations from two other cities about how they manage their school systems. Some gave their city’s mayor greater amounts of authority, and school board members were appointed by the mayor rather than elected by voters.
Mayoral control is something The Mind Trust supported in the past, but has grown more cautious. Several of the names floated as potential mayoral candidates in 2027 have been staunch advocates of IPS and have backed keeping the district’s board entirely elected by voters.
Lewis stressed her hope that any alliance recommendations related to a transportation authority become codified in state law so that “the next administration does not come back and undo all of the things that we’ve discussed and agreed to.”
Related
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The Mind Trust’s blueprint for school reform is still relevant today.
Could other Indianapolis districts become involved?
While the alliance’s scope is defined in state law as pertaining only to schools located within the IPS boundaries, Behning suggested that ideas developed within IPS could be applied to Marion County more broadly.
He pointed to Florida where each county is served by just one school district.
“Let’s be honest — we have 11 school districts in Marion County. Ten of them offer transportation. Speedway does not,” Behning said. “The reality is, we could save money if we didn’t have 10 transportation directors and 10 school bus arms.”
After the panel, Lewis told Mirror Indy that other districts in Marion County have not been consulted through the alliance’s work, but that the idea could be revisited in the future as part of long-term planning.
Behning also expressed that a transportation authority established within IPS could chart a path for other districts to follow.
“You’ve got to start somewhere,” Behning said. “Getting it started and having success makes it more possible for other people to see.”
The mention of other districts comes as IPS school board members consider shrinking IPS’ boundaries to only operate schools within Center Township.
What other transportation ideas are in the works?
The transportation authority isn’t the only idea for helping kids get to and from school.
A group of more than 50 Indianapolis schools and nonprofit partners were recently accepted into a statewide pilot program to explore their own collaborative solutions to transportation challenges. The state pilot was designed to run for three school years, beginning in fall 2026.
Its pilot currently operates separately from the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, though it’s possible the alliance’s end-of-year recommendations could encourage IPS to participate in the pilot program.
Currently, 28 independent charter schools, 22 innovation charter schools, three private schools and five nonprofit partners have signed onto the program, according to The Mind Trust.
Andy Seibert is the CEO of TogetherEd, a support organization for charter schools that’s leading the new pilot project locally. He said so far the group has appointed an eight-member board and is collecting data from participating schools’ vendor contracts and transportation service fees.
Seibert said he envisions creating a system for partner schools that’s not one-size-fits-all. He gave the example of helping a group of schools secure evening activity buses. Maybe not all 54 partners in the pilot need that form of transportation, but the program could help a dozen or so that do work together to find a vendor and negotiate a contract.
“It’s an inclusive model in the sense that the priorities and opportunities that we’re going to help coordinate and put in front of schools then are optional,” Seibert said. “Hopefully they resonate and help solve problems.”
He said it’s too early to tell if the pilot’s priorities will merge with those of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance.
Eddie Rangel is CEO of Adelante Schools at Emma Donnan Elementary & Middle School — one of the schools signed onto the pilot program. As an innovation school, Adelante receives its transportation services from IPS.
Rangel called the district’s services “a bright spot” in his school’s operations, but said he felt the pilot program is needed to help other schools not affiliated with IPS find similar opportunities. He said he’s also interested in pursuing after-school transportation services through the pilot.
“We offer more than 20 clubs and after-school activities, and we offer free after-care,” Rangel said. “We’re constantly thinking about how to expand access to those opportunities.”
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.
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