A bill that would transfer significant financial and operational control of Indianapolis Public Schools to a new mayoral-appointed body passed its first vote on Wednesday.

The Greater Indianapolis NAACP is calling for increased oversight and the protection of public assets in House Bill 1423, which would transfer key powers from the elected IPS Board to a mayor-appointed body.

Indianapolis Public Schools has rescinded resolutions signaling support for undocumented students following a lawsuit from state Attorney General Todd Rokita.

The legislation would transfer tax and operational authority from the IPS board to a mayoral-appointed corporation.

The ILEA recommends creating a new government agency, the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, to oversee operations for both IPS and charter schools.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance will vote Wednesday on two proposals to restructure school governance, while Mayor Joe Hogsett and Superintendent Aleesia Johnson released a joint platform demanding universal transportation and limits on charter authorization.

The lawsuit claims that district policies supporting undocumented students violate state law.

Supporters of both charter and traditional schools worry a new governance structure would create more bureaucracy and fail to address academic issues.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance has presented a slew of potential solutions for how to share school transportation and buildings. But a larger question looms: Who should govern charter and district schools?

Reducing Indianapolis Public Schools to Center Township could mean that surrounding townships annex the parts of IPS that extend into the boundaries of five surrounding townships.