IPS school board candidates raise over $150,000 from political action committees
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. This story was originally published by WFYI. Political action committees have given over $150,000 to candidates in the race for five seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools board — despite a change…
Political action committees (PACs) have contributed over $150,000 to candidates running for five seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) board. This follows a recent change in Indiana law that will significantly reduce the board's powers, as the district will transfer control of its buildings, transportation, and ability to raise taxes to a new agency called the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC).
The majority of the funds came from Stand for Children Indiana, a nonprofit that supports high-quality charter schools within the IPS district, which gave over $117,000 to candidates. The Indiana Political Action Committee for Education (I-PACE), the political arm for the state teachers union, contributed $15,500, while RISE Indy, an education advocacy group, gave $24,200.
The candidates raised a total of more than $257,000, with approximately 22% of the funds coming from individual contributions. The outcome of the election is crucial for the local teachers union, with a majority of members backing candidates supportive of traditional public schools.
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