Indy Standard

In a post-legislative wrap-up addressed to Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), Superintendent Dr. Johnson provides an overview of the impact of the 2025 Indiana legislative session on the district. Dr. Johnson highlights the community's efforts in opposing proposed legislative changes.

"There was not one, but four bills this year that sought to forever change our district, including one that would have totally dismantled our public school system in Indianapolis and another that would have taken away our ability to run our school transportation and manage our own facilities."

These bills were ultimately stopped, an achievement attributed to what Dr. Johnson describes as an unprecedented level of community advocacy: "We saw something truly powerful — an unprecedented outpouring of public testimony, letters, phone calls, and presence at the Statehouse from our students, staff, family members, and community partners."

Despite preventing several bills, Senate Bill 1, a property tax relief bill, was signed into law, inducing challenges for funding public services in Indiana, including public schools. Dr. Johnson notes the implications: "This legislation will significantly impact how public services across Indiana are funded — including public schools, cutting budgets at a time when we should be investing MORE in our students’ academic recovery and growth."

Dr. Johnson affirms the importance of community unity against these changes, as articulated in the following statement: "While we weren’t able to stop this legislation, we were able to get more time to implement the required changes. That’s important because, as I’ve said repeatedly, massively reorienting resources demands time, transparency, and empathy — and a chance for everyone’s voice to be heard."

To address these challenges, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) will be formed to ensure local voices remain central to decision-making about the future of IPS. "Through the ILEA, we have a powerful opportunity to ensure that local voices remain at the center of decisions about the future of our schools." The IPS community is encouraged to participate actively in nominations and take part in a transportation survey available on the IPS website.

Dr. Johnson urges the IPS community to engage in upcoming town halls for a deeper understanding of the legislative changes and their implications. "We want to have a series of community town halls to go into more detail about the bills that passed this session — get into the numbers, the detailed analysis about what it means — so we can all work from the same foundation as we decide what to do from here."

Throughout his address, Dr. Johnson repeatedly highlights the importance of the IPS community: "The most special thing about IPS has always been and always will be our people. And it’s because of our people, I know we will not only get through this, but we’ll do it in a way that can serve our entire community well."

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