How to choose a school: New guide profiles 300 in Indy

With so many public, charter and private school options in Indianapolis, the city has produced a school guide to help families choose schools for their children.

Mayor Greg Ballard’s Office of Education Innovation partnered with GreatSchools.org, a website of school listings and reviews, to compile a printed guide with profiles of the more than 300 schools in Marion County.

“We are trying to simplify that information and get it in parents’ hands,” said Jason Kloth, deputy mayor of education.

The guide, which will be unveiled Thursday, features information on schools’ A-F accountability grade, application process, curricula and transportation. It notes dress codes and before- or after-school care availability. It also breaks out student demographics and special education services.

The school guide outlines differences between the types of schools, how to pay tuition costs and what factors to consider in picking a school to meet a student’s needs.

Free copies of the printed guides will be available at public libraries, parks and Kroger stores throughout Marion County. The same school information also is available online at GreatSchools.org.

The GreatSchools guide was produced through a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, Kloth said.

The city plans to release an updated school guide in the spring for the 2015-16 school year, he added, and will launch a school guide early next year specifically for preschool options.

Call Star reporter Stephanie Wang at (317) 444-6184. Follow her on Twitter: @stephaniewang.