$5M federal grant will help create new west side charter technical high school
A new charter high school focused on creating an "energy-efficient career center" will open as early as next year on the west side of Indianapolis thanks to a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The grant is part of the Renew America’s Schools program made possible by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which centers around bringing clean energy improvements to K-12 public schools across the country.
But this specific project, one of 24 schools around the country to benefit from the grant, tackles the challenge in another way - preparing the next generation to enter the clean energy industry.
A national charter organization launched in 2011, the school's operator Matchbook Learning focuses on creating “turnaround” schools or taking over historically underperforming schools with its own curriculum model to boost student achievement.
The Indianapolis technical high school will eventually serve as many as 280 students, according to its charter application.
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The new school will be housed in two nearby warehouses that were previously owned by the Crescent Electric Supply Company at 1401 Indiana Ave. and 1141 W. 16th Street, Matchbook Learning CEO Amy Swann told IndyStar.
Swann said the grant money will be used to renovate the buildings into energy-efficient and sustainable facilities in a way that will also allow the students to learn from the renovations.
The high school will be geared towards preparing students for careers in STEM fields such as engineering and building trade careers, with a focus on introducing students to innovative models for ways to achieve energy efficiency and sustainability.
“Creating sustainable schools that help our students and community launch into the careers of tomorrow isn’t possible without the support of grants alongside school and business partnerships,” Swann said in a news release.
Along with preparing students to be career-ready, the grant is also meant to help improve air quality in schools, reduce energy use and costs within schools and reduce community exposure to harmful pollutants.
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The school will partner with Hamilton County-based Bondry Consulting, a municipal finance company, and Ameresco, an Indianapolis-based renewable energy solutions company.
"Energy efficiency plays a vital role in creating a conducive and healthy space for students to learn and thrive,” said Louis P. Maltezos, EVP at Ameresco in a news release. “By optimizing energy use, we not only reduce costs but also contribute to a cleaner and greener future for the community and the nation.”
Matchbook operates a K-8 charter school on the city’s west side at Wendell Phillips School 63, which is an innovation restart school part of the Indianapolis Public Schools district's innovation schools network.
A charter school is a public school that operates based on a contract between the school’s independently chosen board and the chartering authority. Charter schools receive state dollars but are run by own independent boards, rather than one elected by voters.
Charter schools have more autonomy in choosing their own curriculum and staff.
Trine University’s charter school authorization board, Education One, will serve as the school’s authorizer. The Angola college's board authorizes 17 other schools across Indiana
Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.
Caroline’s reporting is made possible by Report for America and Glick Philanthropies. As part of its work in Marion County, Glick Philanthropies partners with organizations focused on closing access and achievement gaps in education.
Report for America is a program of The GroundTruth Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening local newsrooms. Report for America provides funding for up to half of the reporter’s salary during their time with us, and IndyStar is fundraising the remainder. To learn more about how you can support IndyStar’s partnership with Report for America and to make a donation, visit indystar.com/RFA.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: New charter high school focused on clean energy to be built
