INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Public Schools has announced they’re dealing with a $15 million budget shortfall for this school year and a projected $18 million shortfall for the next school year.
According to Superintendent Alessia Johnson, it’s the result of enrollment loss, which may be because students opted for homeschooling due to the pandemic. Johnson says they’re looking at possibly cutting back on non-personnel resources, such as classroom expenses, to help address this issue.
“So if you think about our budget for things like supplies or professional development, or those kinds of areas,” said Johnson.
It’s something Nikki Reed, a parent who has a first grader at IPS, says is concerning.
“In a district that does so much with so little, it’s very discouraging for me to hear that there is a budget shortfall,” said Reed. “I hate to think about our schools being without teachers or instructional coaches or instructional assistance.”
Student learning is also a concern to Johnson during the pandemic. She says national trends show student growth in math did not grow as much compared to 2019, and reading is about the same. The school district says they are looking at addressing learning needs by having more tutoring, summer school and Saturday academics. They’re also looking at investing in staff technology needs.
Johnson says she is hopeful that students will return to in-person learning in the fall, but masks might be required. Reed tells News 8 she is looking forward to normalcy.
“My hope is that we can inch back toward normalcy, not only for our students, of course, for our teachers and administration who are trying to do the best they can,” said Reed.
Indiana State Department of Health reported Tuesday that 12,025 have died from COVID-19.
Coronavirus links
Indiana coronavirus timeline
With information from the Indiana Department of Health through Feb. 22, 2021, this timeline reflects updated tallies of deaths and positive tests prior to that date.
- March 6, 2020: Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) confirms the first case in Indiana. Officials say the Marion County resident had recently traveled to Boston to attend a BioGen conference as a contractor.
- March 8: ISDH confirms a second case. An adult in Hendricks County who had also traveled to the BioGen conference was placed in isolation. Noblesville Schools say a parent and that parent’s children will be self-quarantining after attending an out-of-state event where someone else tested positive.
- March 9: Avon Community School Corp. says a student on March 8 tested positive.
- March 10: ISDH launches an online tracker. Ball State University basketball fans learn the Mid-American Conference tourney will have no fans in the stands. Three businesses operating nursing homes in Indiana announce they will no longer allow visitors.
- March 11: The Indianapolis-based NCAA announces the Final Four basketball tournaments will be conducted with essential staff and limited family attendance. The Big Ten announces all sports events, including the men’s basketball tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, will have no fans starting March 12. Ball State University suspends in-person classes the rest of the spring semester. NBA suspends all games, including the Indiana Pacers, until further notice. Butler University and the University of Indianapolis extend spring break, after which they will have virtual classes.
- March 12: Gov. Eric Holcomb announces new protections that led to extended public school closings and the cancellation of large events across the state. The NCAA cancels its basketball tournaments. The Big Ten suspends all sporting events through the winter and spring seasons. The league including the Indy Fuel hockey team suspends its season. Indy Eleven says it will reschedule four matches. Indianapolis’ annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is canceled.
- March 13: The Indiana High…