District strategic planning during complex transitions requires accurate enrollment projections and budget analyses to support effective decision-making. With the additional complexities of enrollment declines, increased choice enrollment, and an uncertain budget referendum. Indianapolis Public Schools turned to the School and State Finance Project to align the district’s student-based allocation formula to its school portfolio redesign, and to effectively communicate changes to both internal and external stakeholders.
To better understand their current student-based budgeting and how it may be impacting communities differently, Indianapolis Public Schools worked with our team to conduct an equity analysis. This analysis reviewed the district’s resource allocation across different school types and student groups to ensure the allocation model was meeting the goal of equitably funding each student based on their educational needs. By identifying existing disparities in the existing allocation model, Indianapolis Public Schools was able to understand the implications of its current model and make informed decisions to address these disparities.
As it moved forward with its Rebuilding Stronger initiative, Indianapolis Public Schools needed to incorporate enrollment changes and school allocations into its decision-making process. These analyses assisted the district with its strategic planning goals for resource allocation, building utilization, and the equitable funding of students. Equipped with this information, district leaders were able to make informed decisions on curriculum offerings, school construction, school closures, and staff allocation.
The School and State Finance Project staff worked directly with district staff to ensure budgeting decisions were clear and well understood. Our team also assisted Indianapolis Public Schools with communicating these analyses to different stakeholders, and with strategic messaging to highlight the need for the referendum and how it would benefit students. Project staff also provided the district with presentations and talking points to clearly convey the results and impacts of the analyses.
