Mayor Joe Hogsett announced appointments to the board of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC) on March 31. The IPEC is a new municipal corporation charged by the Indiana General Assembly to oversee facility and transportation management for public schools within the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) boundary.
The IPEC was created as part of House Enrolled Act 1423 (HEA 1423), which was passed during the 2026 legislative session. This legislation was based on the recommendations of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, led by Hogsett, which met throughout 2025.
“This new board is forming at a critical time for all public schools within the IPS boundary,” said Hogsett. “These dedicated leaders possess the expertise necessary to ensure our schools are able to operate efficiently and serve our students equitably. I believe in their combined ability to make the difficult— but important— decisions that will create a sustainable public school system in Indianapolis for years to come.”
According to HEA 1423, Hogsett’s appointments to the IPEC board were required to include: three members of the IPS Board of School Commissioners, three charter school leaders, and three community members with expertise in management, capital planning, facilities, transportation, or logistics, or experience in working with vulnerable student populations and communities.
The board of the IPEC will include the following members:
Members of the IPS Board of School Commissioners:
- Hope Star (President, IPS Board of School Commissioners)
- Ashley Thomas (IPS Board of School Commissioners)
- Deandra Thompson (IPS Board of School Commissioners)
Charter school leaders:
- David Harris (President and CEO, Christel House International), will serve as chair
- Janet McNeal (President, Herron Classical Schools)
- Dexter Taylor (Director, Paramount Brookside)
Community leaders:
- Patricia Castañeda (Vice President, Key Bank)
- John Hammond (Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP)
- Edward Rangel (Founding CEO, Adelante Schools)
Additional information about the corporation’s work will be shared in the coming weeks.
For more information visit http://www.indy.gov/ .
Contact Staff Writer Malik Simon at 317-762-7847.
Malik Simon is a Staff Writer for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Memphis, TN, he graduated from Mississippi Valley State University with a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies concentrating on journalism. Before joining the Recorder, he wrote for the Devil’s Gazette newspaper at MVSU and served as a freelance content and video editor. He seeks to use media to help communities flourish through literacy and factual reporting.
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