Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name.Board members for Indianapolis Public Schools declined to vote on whether to maintain the district’s association with the Enroll Indy platform Thursday, despite previously planning to do so. The move preserves Superintendent Aleesia Johnson’s controversial decision in early September to withdraw the district in favor of an in-house registration system run by PowerSchool. IPS said the move will cut costs and help families. But critics, including several in the charter school community, said it would create confusion in the public school community. Enroll Indy enables families to enroll in most IPS schools and charter schools in the area on one platform. The board’s decision not to overturn Johnson’s decision means families will no longer be able to review and enroll in those schools in one place. On Sept. 11, Johnson announced the district would move its application, lottery, and registration to PowerSchool, which she said IPS families are already familiar with. According to IPS documents, the district paid up to $21,730 a month to Enroll Indy from September 2022 to June 2023. IPS spokesman Marc Ransford said the change would save more than $300,000 in the first year.The district’s contract with Enroll Indy ended in June, Ransford said, and the change will take effect for the 2027-28 application cycle, which begins Nov. 5.Just a few days after the announcement, Enroll Indy said it would drop the fee charged to charter school authorizers and IPS for one year. Despite this, IPS pressed forward with the change.On Tuesday, however, board commissioners passed a motion to vote on the Enroll Indy decision during their Thursday meeting. Some cited a desire to discuss a potential departure with the community before making a final decision. Johnson said she was surprised by board members’ decision to hold a vote. And board Vice President Nicole Carey noted that the switch to PowerSchool was part of Johnson’s plan to follow the board’s directive to increase enrollment.But on Thursday, Carey said that after consulting with IPS’ general counsel, the board determined that any attempt to vote on the matter violated its bylaws. The bylaws dictate that while the board decides general policies, the superintendent is responsible for implementing the board policies, she said.“The board decides the what. The superintendent decides the how,” Carey said.Parents on both sides of the debate spoke at the meeting.Several parents said leaving Enroll Indy would especially harm immigrant families, for whom technology can pose just as much of a barrier as language. Others said Enroll Indy makes it easier for families to compare schools.“For me, Enroll Indy was not just where I applied; it was how I discovered what was available,” said Sunshine Quinn. “Because parents are just trying to answer one question: Where can my child grow and succeed?”Other families applauded Johnson’s decision.Megan Hise, a member of the IPS Parent Council, argued that Enroll Indy isn’t truly accessible. She cited a family who tried to register their child at Arsenal Tech High School using Enroll Indy, only to be told there were no spots available. However, when the family called the school, they were told there were many spots still open. The debate about the site comes amid significant tensions between district and charter schools. This year saw the controversial creation of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which now manages transportation, facilities, and more for charter and IPS schools. IPEC also reduced the power of school boards, although they retain control over day-to-day decisions.
