The Indianapolis education landscape is going through major changes. Recent legislation has effectively guaranteed a dramatic shift in the way Indianapolis Public Schools will function. You may think that’s for better or worse—but you should think something. Unfortunately, what I’ve noticed is that many people in Indianapolis are largely unconcerned about IPS because they don’t feel personally affected. That’s not how it should be.

Indianapolis is unique when it comes to this kind of problem. Unigov merged most of the city’s functions into one unit in 1970. Schools were left out of that effort because of the racial dynamics of the time. The country was still in the era of desegregation, “white flight” was in full swing, and those families didn’t move to the suburbs just to have their children remain in the same school district. Today, it’s well established that the exodus of children and tax dollars has hurt the school district. And while the surrounding areas are much more diverse than they were in the early ’70s, the attitude shaped by Unigov’s boundaries have persisted. People who live in places like Wayne, Lawrence, or Pike don’t always see the bigger picture when it comes to the future of IPS.

Here’s the big picture: Indianapolis Public Schools is still technically the largest school district in the state, and the well-being of its students and families is directly linked to the broader region. Surrounding municipalities may see themselves as fully autonomous and independent, but Indianapolis remains the economic driver of both the region and the state as a whole. So it’s in everyone’s best interest that the school district serving the heart of the city is well-organized and well-funded.

I once overheard a conversation at a Carmel brewery that perfectly illustrated this point. A gentleman was telling his wife that his company wanted to expand their local campus but couldn’t find enough skilled labor nearby—so they chose to grow in Chicago instead. That’s exactly the kind of challenge city officials and IPS leaders are trying to solve. I don’t know that man. He may understand that a stronger IPS could help solve his problem. But many people in the region still don’t make that connection.

In a perfect world, people would care about the future of a major school district simply because outcomes for all children should matter. But this isn’t an appeal to the heart. Purely from a place of logic, anyone in this area should be invested. Of course, parents with children in the district have more skin in the game. But when the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance starts holding public meetings, the entire state should be paying attention.