Education committee reviews Office of Education Innovation 2026 budget; Circle City Readers added to general fund

The Indianapolis City Council Education Committee heard a presentation on Sept. 16 on the Office of Education Innovation’s proposed 2026 budget, including the first-time inclusion of the Circle City Readers tutoring program in OEI’s general fund and a $2 million city allocation for India Achieves, EmployIndy’s postsecondary support initiative.

Shana Cavazos, director of the Office of Education Innovation, told the committee, “I am here to present our 2026 budget.” She said OEI is the charter school authorizer in the mayor’s office and currently oversees “48 schools serving about 19,000 students across Indianapolis.” Cavazos described the office’s revenue streams, including a self‑generating charter school fund funded by an authorizing fee and a general fund allocation that this year will house Circle City Readers’ operating costs.

The nut graf: The hearing focused on how OEI finances authorizing work and direct student supports. The office plans to keep its authorizing fee at 1% of the state’s foundation amount, use that fee to support oversight and data systems, and add $400,000 from the general fund to cover Circle City Readers for the coming year while the committee asked for further detail on program costs and subgroup outcomes.

OEI structure and oversight

Cavazos outlined OEI’s responsibilities: authorizing charter contracts, evaluating schools across academics, finance, governance and site visits, and posting annual public…