Chicago-based Legal Prep Charter Academy is making plans to open in fall 2026
By CARLEY LANICH
A new high school and middle school could open in Indianapolis next year.
The Indianapolis Charter School Board voted 6-1 to give a charter to Legal Prep Charter Academy during a meeting June 24. The approval clears the path for Legal Prep to open a proposed school in downtown Indianapolis by fall 2026.
Legal Prep currently operates one campus of about 200 high school students in Chicago’s West Garfield Park neighborhood.
“We are developing the future leaders in our community in Chicago,” Legal Prep board member Jason Brown told the Indy charter board during its meeting. “We see that in them and we want to do that here.”
School leaders said they were drawn to downtown Indianapolis because of its proximity to nearby law firms, courts and businesses students could learn from, as well as an environment they believe to be more welcoming of charter schools.
Legal Prep’s plans to expand, however, come alongside a tense moment in public education in Indianapolis.
The newly formed Indianapolis Local Education Alliance could make recommendations by the end of the year for transportation service sharing and cost savings between Indianapolis Public Schools and nearby charter schools. That comes after lawmakers passed legislation this spring that directs traditional public school districts like IPS to share more property tax money with charter schools.
Legal Prep’s support in Indy
Multiple charter board members asked about Legal Prep’s relationship with Indianapolis Public Schools — including Arsenal Tech, which offers a two-year law and public safety program — as well as its plans for financial stability and community building in a new city.
“Are you OK and aware that if this is going forward, that the hard work is really just starting for you because of this particular environment?” Board Chair Mary Ann Sullivan asked before casting her vote in support of the school. “Because there’s a lot of challenges still ahead of you.”
Andrea Neely, who is the president and CEO of Simon Youth Foundation, was the only board member to vote against the charter.
“Everyone’s aware of what has transpired legislatively here,” Neely said to Legal Prep leaders. “We have a lot of uncertainty as it relates to where we’re going with the education of our community.”
Legal Prep leaders mentioned partnerships with The Mind Trust and EmpowerED Families locally to seek guidance for family engagement and fundraising. And, seven of nine people committed to serving on the school’s first Indianapolis board of directors are from the Indy area.
“We’ve done it before, and so we go in eyes wide open,” Legal Prep founder Sam Finkelstein told charter board members, referencing the school’s 2012 opening in Chicago. “We’re all in.”
The school also has the support of a key partner in Indianapolis: Scott Bess, president of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center.
Bess addressed the charter board during its public comment period, saying Legal Prep checked multiple boxes the charter school interest group considers when deciding whether to back a new school.
“‘Do they have an idea or a model that doesn’t exist in the city?’ And then also, ‘Do they have a track record? Do they have a history of high quality?’” Bess said during his comments. “With Legal Prep, the answer for us is a resounding yes.”
Leaders of Legal Prep have not finalized a location for the Indianapolis school yet. Finkelstein said the campus will likely be near Monument Circle and within a 10-minute walk of downtown legal partners.
But, the school — which will serve sixth graders through high school — understands that not all students may become lawyers.
“Sometimes people hear our name and think that only students who want to be lawyers should come to Legal Prep, and nothing can be further from the truth,” Finkelstein told the charter board. “We really use law as a hook for learning.”
What’s next for Legal Prep?
Legal Prep leaders will use the next year to plan for its opening. The Indianapolis campus intends to enroll about 170 students in its first year and hopes to scale up to over 800 when it reaches capacity.
The school says it intends to serve a diverse population, including students from underserved communities in Indy as well as commuters who live further away but work downtown.
“I just really like being there because it’s a place where I feel comfortable and I feel heard,” 16-year-old Armorrie Parchman, a current Legal Prep student, told the charter board. “Being there, I realized that if you work hard, you’ll receive numerous benefits.”
The school will especially ramp up fundraising efforts in the coming months.
Finkelstein says the school’s current teacher salary projections fall below what Indianapolis Public Schools offers, and that Legal Prep’s team will want to raise $400,000 annually to supplement its budget and offer competitive pay.
Staff for the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation will work with the Legal Prep team in the coming months. Staff can delay an opening if they feel the school is not prepared to meet targets for enrollment or hiring.
Legal Prep currently hopes to open in Indianapolis by fall 2026.
Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.
