IPS left Enroll Indy. Then, the enrollment system cut fees, but the district didn’t reverse course.
Enroll Indy dropped its fee to charter school authorizers and Indianapolis Public Schools for one year after the district said last week it was leaving the enrollment website shared by IPS and most charter schools in the city. But in…
Enroll Indy, a popular enrollment system used for both IPS and charter schools within Center Township, announced it would offer its services free of charge for the upcoming 2027-28 school year. However, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) decided to discontinue its use of the system and move to a more internally-managed enrollment process, starting with the 2027-28 school year.
IPS cited multiple factors, including cost-savings, operational improvements, and a commitment to providing a better experience for families and staff as the primary reasons for the decision. The change will save the district more than $300,000 in software/service costs in the first year, according to IPS spokesperson Marc Ransford. This move comes as the district faces $20 million in budget cuts, a reality that is further exacerbated by the potential defeat of a tax measure on the ballot in November.
The decision to leave Enroll Indy only applies to schools directly managed by IPS and Innovation Network schools that aren't charters, but not to charter schools in the city. The nonprofit organization aims to streamline enrollment with a common application, provide school information, and offer enrollment specialists to help families.
Enroll Indy's interim executive director, Patrick McAlister, stated that the organization unanimously decided to operate the unified enrollment system free of cost for the upcoming enrollment cycle. The board, which includes representatives from IPS and two charter school authorizers, plans to use its cash reserves for the transition instead of relying on the annual fee.
Criticism from Enroll Indy's board and charter school leaders emerged following the announcement, arguing that the change would create confusion and instability. However, IPS maintains that it retains full legal authority to manage its own enrollment system until the IPEC (Indianapolis Public Education Corporation) designs, establishes, and formally launches a new process.
Written by urgent.news from Chalkbeat's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
