INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Public Schools laid out its plan for Emma Donnan Middle School, Emmerich Manual High School and Thomas Carr Howe Community High School during a press conference on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Central Library. The three former district schools were taken over by the state in 2012.
The Indiana State Board of Education will vote on the future of Emma Donnan, Manual and Howe during a meeting on Wednesday Jan. 15. The options were to return all three schools to IPS, allow Charter Schools USA to continue to operate the schools, or closing them. UPDATE: On Jan. 15, the SBOE voted to return control to IPS. The school district will begin moving forward with its plans as stated on Jan. 11.
IPS is hoping its plan for the schools will be enough to show the SBOE that returning the schools to the district is the right thing to do for students, families and the school communities.
IPS and Christel House Academy (CHA) have already reached an Innovation Network School agreement to serve both the current Manual students as well as transition the Christel House Academy South location and Christel House DORS South, an adult dropout recovery high school, to the Manual facilities. On Saturday, the IPS Board voted to approve a five-year Innovation contract for Christel House to operate Manual — if returned to the district. The name of Manual will remain prominent in the school name, honoring historical legacy. Manual students can graduate with a Manual diploma and Christel House will offer interviews to all current staff with the goal of hiring as many as possible to provide continuity.
Adelante Schools and Phalen Leadership Academies (PLA) are being considered as potential partners to serve Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School as a full K-8 school. After a series of community meetings and information sessions to give students and families a chance to meet the applicants and provide feedback, IPS will select a partner for Emma Donnan in early February.
If the SBOE returns control of Howe to IPS, which serves Grades 7-12, the school will be closed to students for the 2020-21 school year while the district, through the Howe Reuse Committee, reimagines the future of the school site.
The initial decision for Howe was not to displace students. IPS did engage in conversation with several Innovation partners for the school, but did not find a match sustainable and robust for the long-term in the timeframe given. The district will also do outreach to current Howe staff pending the January 15 decision about employment opportunities with IPS.
Howe High School was built in 1938 to educate the fast-growing east side of Indianapolis. Situated on Emerson Ave., the school has a strong and supportive alumni association.
