IPS Restructures Its Racial Equity Office Amid National Pushback on DEI
Indianapolis Public Schools is making major changes to how it approaches equity work. This week, the district confirmed that its long-standing Office of Racial Equity has been restructured and renamed the Office of Strategic Excellence, a shift happening as national political pressure mounts against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
The original office, created in 2015, played a key role in guiding IPS through issues that disproportionately impact students of color. This incljudess discipline disparities, achievement gaps, and unequal access to academic opportunities.
These issues are especially critical in a district where more than one-third of students are Black and over one-third are Hispanic, according to state data.
District leadership said the name change is meant to reflect a continued goal of ensuring “every student has what they need to be successful, regardless of their identity.”
But the timing is significant:
President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold federal funds from schools that promote what he calls “discriminatory equity ideology.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order targeting DEI-related programs and spending.
State Attorney General Todd Rokita launched the “Eyes on Education” portal, encouraging residents to report perceived “divisive” content in schools. IPS appears in that portal with a screenshot referencing the former equity office.
The district has also removed references to the Office of Racial Equity from its website.
What’s Changing Inside IPS
Patricia Payne, a long-time IPS leader and advocate for equity, will lead the new Office of Strategic Excellence, supported by two staff members. While the office will still organize cultural and community programs such as the Spirit of Freedom and MLK Celebration, some past initiatives have ended due to funding shifts, including the district’s partnership with the Racial Equity Institute for staff training.
The original office helped usher in one of IPS’ most important policies following the 2020 racial justice movement: a school board directive acknowledging the district’s historical ties to segregation and committing to disrupt inequitable systems. That policy remains in effect.
Equity remains a core pillar in IPS’ Rebuilding Stronger plan and its 2025 Strategic Plan, both aimed at closing achievement gaps and lowering suspension rates among Black students.
Local advocates say the mission can’t change even if the office’s name does.
Regina Turner, co-chair of the NAACP’s education committee in Indianapolis, emphasized that the organization will continue pushing for equitable education for all students, especially students of color regardless of which department leads the work inside IPS.
As school districts across the country navigate political debates over DEI, Indianapolis becomes another example of how national shifts are reshaping local classrooms.
