In 2013, Enlace Academy was founded. The name Enlace comes from the Spanish word for link or connection. Enlace was founded on the belief that “all kids can and will learn” and that its staff should “lead with love.”

Kevin Kubacki was an Enlace teacher and school leader in its early days.

In 2016, the Neighborhood Charter Network was launched to support Enlace and a sister school Kindezi Academy. Kindezi Academy was housed in Joyce Kilmer School 69. 

Enlace served a majority Latino student population on Indy’s west side, and Kindezi served a majority Black student population on Indy’s east side.

After years of dismal results, Kindezi Academy closed at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. In a Chalkbeat Indiana report, Kubacki said, “We fully admit that our objective outcomes weren’t where we needed them to be.” 

As previously reported by Indy Kids Winning, Kindezi “was rated an F for years, and the school takeover failed to move the needle on academic outcomes. Only 3.8% of students passed both the English and math portions of ILEARN in 2021.”

When Kindezi became a sister school to Enlace, Kubacki transitioned from Enlace to the executive director of the Neighborhood Charter Network; NCN managed both Enlace and Kindezi.

Once Kindezi closed, NCN’s website ncnschools.org was removed from public view, and the URL automatically reroutes users to Enlace’s website.

Kubacki will remain as NCN executive director until the end of June. Katie Dulay, current managing director of strategy (according to Enlace’s website), will serve as NCN’s executive director until a new director is named. 

Disclosure: Educator Barnes previously served as a school administrator at Enlace Academy.