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Friday, July 4, 2025AfiSectionindianapolisrecorder.comThe Business Services Division provides access to register and manage the fi ling requirements for your business through the INBiz portal. Everything starts with getting an Access Indiana sign-in with the state.Additional support:IRS linksCertifi cates for BankingWorkers Comp. Claims InfoExpert Advice SourcesYour Indiana Secretary of Statewww.in.gov/sos/businessIndiana%u2019s BUSINESSSERVICESGet to KnoAdditional services:TrademarksUCC FilingsCertifi ed CopiesAuthenticationsSOS FormsNotaries PublicRegister with:Department of RevenueWorkforce DevelopmentIndiana Professional LicensingAttorney GeneralIndiana Dept. of AdministrationStay Connected:Updating and verifying your contact information is the best way to be notifi ed of requirements and other important information.By CARLEY LANICH, Mirror IndyA 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%u2019s West Garfield Park neighborhood.%u201cWe are developing the future leaders in our community in Chicago,%u201d Legal Prep board member Jason Brown told the Indy charter board during its meeting. %u201cWe see that in them and we want to do that here.%u201dSchool 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%u2019s plans to expand, however, come alongside%u00a0a tense moment%u00a0in public education in Indianapolis.The newly formed%u00a0Indianapolis Local Education Alliance%u00a0could make recommendations%u00a0by the end of the year%u00a0for transportation service sharing and cost savings between%u00a0Indianapolis Public Schools%u00a0and nearby charter schools. That comes after%u00a0lawmakers passed legislation this spring%u00a0that directs traditional public school districts like IPS to share more property tax money with charter schools.Legal Prep%u2019s support in IndyMultiple charter board members asked about Legal Prep%u2019s relationship with%u00a0Indianapolis Public Schools%u00a0%u2014 including Arsenal Tech, which offers a two-year law and public safety program %u2014 as well as its plans for financial stability and community building in a new city.%u201cAre 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?%u201d Board Chair Mary Ann Sullivan asked before casting her vote in support of the school. %u201cBecause there%u2019s a lot of challenges still ahead of you.%u201dAndrea Neely, who is the president and CEO of%u00a0Simon Youth Foundation, was the only board member to vote against the charter.%u201cEveryone%u2019s aware of what has transpired legislatively here,%u201d Neely said to Legal Prep leaders. %u201cWe have a lot of uncertainty as it relates to where we%u2019re going with the education of our community.%u201dLegal Prep leaders mentioned partnerships with%u00a0The Mind Trust%u00a0and%u00a0EmpowerED Families%u00a0locally to seek guidance for family engagement and fundraising. And, seven of nine people committed to serving on the school%u2019s first Indianapolis board of directors are from the Indy area.%u201cWe%u2019ve done it before, and so we go in eyes wide open,%u201d Legal Prep founder Sam Finkelstein told charter board members, referencing the school%u2019s 2012 opening in Chicago. %u201cWe%u2019re all in.%u201dThe school also has the support of a key partner in Indianapolis: Scott Bess, president of the%u00a0Indiana 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.%u201c%u2018Do they have an idea or a model that doesn%u2019t exist in the city?%u2019 And then also, %u2018Do they have a track record? Do they have a history of high quality?%u2019%u201d Bess said during his comments. %u201cWith Legal Prep, the answer for us is a resounding yes.%u201dLeaders 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 %u2014 which will serve sixth graders through high school %u2014 understands that not all students may become lawyers.%u201cSometimes 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,%u201d Finkelstein told the charter board. %u201cWe really use law as a hook for learning.%u201dWhat%u2019s 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.%u201cI just really like being there because it%u2019s a place where I feel comfortable and I feel heard,%u201d 16-year-old Armorrie Parchman,%u00a0a current Legal Prep student, told the charter board. %u201cBeing there, I realized that if you work hard, you%u2019ll receive numerous benefits.%u201dThe school will especially ramp up fundraising efforts in the coming months.Finkelstein says the school%u2019s current teacher salary projections fall below what Indianapolis Public Schools offers, and that Legal Prep%u2019s team will want to raise $400,000 annually to supplement its budget and offer competitive pay.Staff for%u00a0the Mayor%u2019s Office of Education Innovation%u00a0will 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%u00a0carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org%u00a0or follow her on X%u00a0@carleylanich.%u2018We%u2019re all in%u2019: New charter school given green light to open in IndyChicago-based Legal Prep Charter Academy is making plans to open in fall 2026.Jennifer Rhinehart, a stafi member at Indiana Math and Science Academy, attended to support a fellow charter school during a meeting of the Indianapolis Charter School Board on June 24, 2025, at the CityCounty Building. (Photo/Doug McSchooler, Mirror Indy)Board member Andrea Neely speaks during a regular meeting of the Indianapolis Charter School Board on June 24, 2025, at the City-County Building. (Photo/Doug McSchooler, Mirror Indy)Audience members react after Legal Prep%u2019s application is approved during a meeting of the Indianapolis Charter School Board on June 24, 2025, at the City-County Building. (Photo/Doug McSchooler, Mirror Indy)