IPS approves changes to magnet lottery

Indianapolis Public Schools magnet programs will be more accessible to students across the district after the School Board voted 5-0 Thursday night to change long-standing admissions policies.

The changes open up more seats to students who live farther from magnet schools, which officials hope will improve diversity in highly coveted magnet programs that enroll disproportionately large numbers of white and middle-class students.

The policy changes were passed in the wake of an IndyStar investigation that showed how the magnet school admissions process favored white and wealthy students, effectively blocking many students of color and students from low-income families from enrolling at some of the district’s best schools.

The district now gives admissions preference to students living within a half-mile radius of a magnet school — reducing, but still partially preserving, a benefit that previously applied to neighborhoods within roughly one mile.

"Magnet schools were born out of the civil rights movement and were intended to help districts re-integrate," IPS board member Gayle Cosby said. "So, in keeping with the spirit ... we want to make sure magnets are not actually serving a different purpose within our district."

She said she was pleased with the changes and called them a step in the right direction for correcting a historical problem.

Why this IPS school is mostly white and wealthy

The IPS magnet lottery still prioritizes admission for siblings of current students, students who live within the half-mile radius, students who did not get into a magnet program the prior year and children of IPS employees.

All other applicants — including students who no longer qualify for the proximity preference — are admitted by lottery for the remaining seats.

Students who are already enrolled in magnet programs do not have to reapply under the new rules.

The district retained some preference for neighborhood families because leaders said it made sense for students to attend schools close to where they live. But, with the change, neighborhood families will no longer fill magnet schools before other students even have a chance to get in.

"This is an attempt to balance the fairness to the families that live near the school with fairness to the district as a whole," said IPS board member Kelly Bentley, who represents the north side.

While the changes earned support from district leadership, some IPS families expressed concerns. Board President Mary Ann Sullivan said IPS leaders and staff met on short notice with about 20 people for three hours Thursday morning to hash out concerns.

Earlier this week, Jessica Trimble told the IPS board that she wants her children to attend Center for Inquiry School 27 near their home, but they are now outside the redrawn priority boundaries for the magnet program.

"We understand that you have a different definition for 'neighborhood school,' but our definition is the one that is closest to our homes," Trimble said, speaking for five other families in the same situation.

​Trimble said her family looked for homes in the suburbs and townships but chose to remain on the north side. She said she will apply for her children to attend Center for Inquiry School 27 and "hope for the best."

Hannah Kiger, a Center for Inquiry School 27 parent, said Thursday the district is "taking away" from families near magnet schools and should instead expand quality schools to other neighborhoods.

"How can we close this off to a part of our community?" she asked.

But Troy Montigney, who lives near Center for Inquiry School 27, said this was a chance to break the cycle of poverty. The changes, he said, would grant more access for students who haven't had the same opportunities for high-quality education.

The changes would cut his home out of the priority zone for the school, meaning his future children would have to enter the magnet lottery without any special edge to get in. "Those needs," he said, "do not outweigh the potential benefit."

Center for Inquiry leaders told the IPS board earlier this week that they supported the policy changes.

On one hand, the advantage to neighborhood students attracted many families to send their children to high-performing magnet schools rather than choosing private, parochial or suburban options over IPS. But the long-standing rules, principals said, had "unintended consequences" of shaping some magnet schools to reflect the city's segregated neighborhoods rather than the district as a whole.

"This attraction has had many benefits to IPS as a whole," said Chris Collier, a longtime leader in the Center for Inquiry programs. "We want to continue to attract these families, but at the same time, we want to see greater opportunities for families who have been attracted to our magnet schools but have been excluded by past policies."

"We have created a system that locks out many while favoring a few," said Andrea Hunley, principal of the Center for Inquiry School 2.

Board members stressed that the discussion showed how important it was for IPS to create more magnet opportunities throughout the city and improve options outside of magnet schools.

"It does point out some glaring places where we are missing some opportunities for families," said IPS board member Michael O'Connor. "Obviously, our commitment is to make sure everybody has access to a high-performing school in their neighborhood."

The policy changes approved Thursday also create three opportunities throughout the year for families to apply to magnet programs. Previously, there was one deadline — but data showed nearly half of all magnet applications were submitted past the deadline. Late applications also came disproportionately from low-income families and families of color, so the application rounds attempt to help make more seats available to those families.

Still, Indianapolis resident Chrissy Smith told the board it could do more. She criticized the three rounds for still making most magnet school seats available earliest in the process.

"Even with this proposed plan, there are still pockets of privilege that are unacceptable to the vast majority of IPS families," she said.

But she praised the board for addressing socioeconomic and racial segregation.

"We all know students do better when there is more diversity," Smith said.

The magnet school application process starts Nov. 19 with IPS' Showcase of Schools.

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

For more diversity, IPS may cut advantages in magnet lottery