Future of Arlington High School Is Topic of Meeting

Indianapolis Public Schools will hold a meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the future of Arlington Community High School. Oversight of the school is returning to IPS next school year after being run by a charter operator. 

Tindley Accelerated Schools shocked many in the community last summer when it could no longer run Arlington because of low enrollment and higher than expected costs. Marcus Robinson, Tindley Accelerated Schools Chancellor and CEO, had told the State Board of Education that the nonprofit could not keep the school open past the 2014-15 school year unless it received $2.4 million in additional aid.

Since then the state board decided IPS would retake control over the Northeastside school. IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee and Tindly are hosting  the community meeting to discuss what the change means for current and future Arlington Students.

It remains to be seen if Arlington will be merged with another IPS school or become part of Ferebee’s proposed transformation zone method of school improvement.

Tindley is non-profit charter school operator based in Indianapolis. When it took over Arlington in 2012 it was known as EdPower. The company had signed a five-year contract with the state board to run Arlington.

Arlington is one of four IPS schools that have entered state takeover. The three others are Emma Donnan Middle School and Manual and Howe high schools. The Florida-based Charter Schools USA runs those. 

The Tennessee-based EdisonLearning at oversee Roosevelt High School in Gary.

Tindley, a non-profit charter school operator based in Indianapolis then known as EdPower, took over Arlington.

The meeting is at 6 p.m. at Arlington, 4825 N. Arlington Ave.

Contact WFYI reporter Eric Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org or call (317) 614-0470. Follow on Twitter: @ericweddle.