Two teens dead. Five others wounded. A mass shooting in the heart of downtown Indianapolis on July 5th. Carried out primarily by kids as young as 13. If you want a tragic snapshot of where we are as a city, this is it.
We can’t keep missing the point. We shuffle policies, reorganize campuses, and cut ribbons on initiatives like Rebuilding Stronger, all while refusing to face the one factor no program, consultant, or curriculum overhaul can fix: the erosion of accountability at home.
Launched in 2022, Rebuilding Stronger promised to modernize Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) through grade reconfiguration, resource redistribution, and a new emphasis on equity. However, in practice, it has destabilized families, fractured school communities, and led to a decline in enrollment. Last year alone, traditional IPS-run schools lost nearly 800 students—a 3.7% drop—while the Innovation Charter Network picked up only 717. That’s a net loss and a signal that families aren’t buying what’s being sold…