Charter board approves Indiana Math and Science Academy for new Hawesville campus

The Indianapolis Charter School Board voted to approve a replication application from Indiana Math and Science Academy (IMSA) for a new Hawesville‑area campus after a public hearing and a review by the Office of Education Innovation.

IMSA leaders told the board the proposed IMSA Central campus will open with a slow‑growth plan beginning with kindergarten through sixth grade in year one, adding grades in successive years toward a K–12 model. IMSA representatives described steady reenrollment and said the two existing IMSA sites (West and North) have sustained enrollment and board‑backed facility investments.

“IMSA West is a thriving, inclusive community that provides high quality education to 554 students,” board chair Jim Sparks said during the presentation, and IMSA staff emphasized STEM programming, dual‑credit and career connected learning. Current IMSA students and staff told the board about project‑based learning, PLTW engineering pathways, robotics and science fairs that the operator said are consistently attracting students from around the metro area.

IMSA presented a facility plan: the operator said it is negotiating to purchase a large former school/church property a few blocks from downtown Hawesville and has letters of support from local leaders and faith institutions. Concept Schools — IMSA’s network management organization — said it will provide a start‑up loan and can reduce management fees to support the initial years if enrollment is lower than projected.

Board questions focused on finance (start‑up funding and the Concept Schools loan), projected enrollment growth and academic performance differences between IMSA West and North. IMSA leaders said West’s higher test performance reflects stable neighborhood draw and steady cohorts; North draws from a broader geographic area and has a more transient student population, IMSA said, and IMSA described regional instructional coaching and a plan to replicate West’s interventions at North and the new Central campus.

After discussion the board approved the IMSA Central replication application in a roll‑call vote.

The operator will return to OEI’s pre‑opening process and continue community engagement. IMSA said it plans to locate the school near a central neighborhood commercial corridor to maximize access to employers and partners and to enable student internships and legal/career connections the school described.