IPS Plan: Make Emma Donnan Middle School Into K-8

Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Lewis Ferebee pitched a plan to the State Board of Education Wednesday to regain control over a former IPS school now under state intervention. 

Ferebee asked the state board to approve a unique partnership with Charter Schools USA to remake Emma Donnan Middle School into a K-8 campus.

The board hired the Florida-based company in 2012 to operate Emma Donnan iand two other failing IPS schools also under state intervention. The company is in year three of a seven year contract.

Ferebee says this partnership would be the start of Emma Donnan's return to IPS and possibly a model for takeover schools Manual and Howe high schools.

“At some point there has to be strategy around transitioning those schools to the district and district authority. We see this as a means to do so," Ferebee said. "We see this as a beginning of what can translate to a very smooth and effective transition not only for Emma Donnan but also for Manual and Howe.”

The proposal calls for enrolling 840 students at Emma Donnan in grades K to 8 this fall and using Public Law 1321.

Of those students, around 300 current 7th and 8th grade Emma Donnan students would remain, 300 would be recruited from IPS and Charter Schools USA would seek another 300 students not already attending the district.

“This would result in a net gain of hundreds of new students to the IPS system,” according to the proposal.

Indiana public schools are mostly funded on the basis of their enrollment, so the increase would bring additional revenue to IPS after years of financial declines. 

Public Law 1321 would let Charter Schools USA manage the school and have access to IPS transportation and food services -- but the students would be part of IPS system.

Ferebee has sought to reclaim the four former-IPS schools under intervention since he was hired to run the district in 2013.

So far, the State Board is nearing a final approval to let Arlington Community High School return to IPS this fall after its operator, Tindley Accelerated Schools, requested to end its contract due to financial concerns.

But at Wednesday's board meeting, some members hinted at further oversight. Ferebee was asked to return next month with a clear plan. 

"We don't have enough clarity of what will happen (at Arlington)," Board member Daniel Elsener said. "This is not criticism, it's a statement."

Emma Donna, Arlington and two other IPS schools, was taken over by the state in 2012 after six consecutive years of F grades under Indiana's A to F grading system. But since then, state intervention has come under scrutiny from school leaders, lawmakers and members of the State Board of Education.

While state board members like the idea, they have yet to create a way for schools under intervention to go back to their former districts.

Elsener asked for IPS and Charter Schools USA to create separate contracts with the state board that spells out each of the responsibilities in running the school. 

Ferebee will return to the state board in next month with a formal plan but IPS School Board will have to sign off on it first.

Also during the meeting, the board approved the planning phase of Ferebee's transformation zone. 

As WFYI has previously reported, the district-led plan includes assistance from a company aligned with the district and a focus on teacher training and student needs at particular high schools and the elementary schools that feed into those high schools.

The goal is to prevent the schools from being taken over by the state and run by a company.

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