Charter board approves Victory College Prep middle and high school replications; high school vote 8-1

The Indianapolis Charter School Board approved two separate charter applications from Victory College Prep, authorizing (1) a standalone middle school and (2) a standalone high school. The vote on the middle-school charter was unanimous; the high-school charter passed 8–1 in a roll-call vote.

The votes formalize a planned reconfiguration of Victory College Prep (VCP), which currently operates a K–12 program at a single campus on the city’s southeast side. VCP told the board it purchased a second facility (the former Bethel Park elementary site) and plans to place the new high school there. VCP leaders said the two-site model will let staff specialize by grade band and expand enrollment from roughly 1,100 students today toward a system capacity of about 1,500 over several years.

VCP executives and school leaders described network-level preparation for the split. Executive Director Ryan Gall told the board the organization has been building hiring and operational models for expansion since 2024 and reported they were 88% staffed for the coming year with 94% of school leaders already hired. The board heard that VCP purchased the Bethel Park building outright from cash reserves and board-approved funding and has set aside money for renovations. VCP said it expects no new long-term debt tied to the purchase and that the school can meet its projected budgets if it reaches enrollment targets.

On academic planning, the high-school principal, Chelsea Easter, described four core academic components that will guide the new high school, including an expanded college-credit program with Ivy Tech and a full-time alumni coach to support graduates through their first years after high school. The middle-school principal, Aviance Brown, said the stand-alone middle school will emphasize co-teaching and daily advisory, and set goals to raise ELA and math proficiency and improve attendance and teacher retention in the building’s first year.

Board members pressed VCP leaders on enrollment, transportation and finance. VCP said it currently operates about 18 buses and anticipates growing to about 24 buses at full scale; about 80–85% of current students ride bus transportation. VCP reported a 2025 internal reenrollment rate of roughly 92% among current families and said it had 75% of faculty/staff already committed for the transition. VCP also told the board it had about $4.5 million in cash after purchase of the second site and that its board approved approximately $2.5 million for renovations spread across the two campuses.

In discussion, board members raised the risk that enrollment targets may not be met and asked about contingency plans. VCP said it has prepared budgets keyed to different enrollment scenarios and would phase staffing and expenses accordingly. VCP also described community outreach already underway, including family surveys and direct outreach to families of the nearby Bethel Park school that is closing.

Next steps: VCP will begin pre-opening activities required by the Office of Education Innovation (OEI), including facility renovation, staffing completion, safety inspections, and participation in the city’s unified enrollment processes. The board’s votes allow each VCP campus to continue toward final pre-opening compliance steps.

Votes at a glance: Victory College Prep Middle School — Motion: approve charter application for Victory College Prep Middle School; Outcome: approved (unanimous roll-call yes votes). Victory College Prep High School — Motion: approve charter application for Victory College Prep High School; Outcome: approved (8 yes, 1 no). The board recorded individual roll-call votes for each item.

The board’s approval separates the existing K–12 operation into distinct charters for the middle and high school campuses; the board and OEI will continue to monitor pre-opening milestones and the network’s implementation plans, including staffing, facilities and transportation.