Changes can be expected for Indianapolis Public Schools, as the interim superintendent considers making cuts to the school district.

Dr. Peggy Hinckley, who has been on the job for three days, said she does not envision massive teacher layoffs but said there will likely be some reductions inside the classrooms.

“I spoke with the staff here yesterday about the fact that we are on the radar screen and we will look at these positions and we are probably going to have some reductions,” said Dr. Hinckley.

Dr. Hinckley’s hope is that most of the teachers, who will not be replaced, will choose to leave or retire. The school district needs to trim $30 million from next year’s budget.

“I always knew Indianapolis Public Schools was a large place, but when you live it every day, it can be somewhat overwhelming,” said Dr. Hinckley.

The interim superintendent, who has led several school districts for nearly 30 years before becoming a consultant, is taking on IPS for the next three to four months.  She said she does not want the permanent position, which was last occupied by Dr. Eugene White.

White was brought out of his contract, after being criticized for the loss of students to charter schools and the state voucher program that has made private schools affordable for lower income families.

“I think we’re working hard but we’re not getting the results that this community expects, so there is no doubt there is room for improvement,” said Dr. Hinckley.

One of those improvements is to change the turnover rate of teachers and principals at poorly performing schools.

“If we have a new principal every year, that’s what’s shooting us in the foot,” said Dr. Hinckley.

The constant shakeups are what Hinckley claims can really hurt a student’s performance and weaken test scores.

INDIANAPOLIS – Area educators and parents have questions after Dr. Eugene White announced his retirement.

The school board president said they are still finalizing the details, but White will likely receive as much money by retiring as he would have if he remained IPS superintendent.

White will likely get a nearly $800,000 retirement deal. It was an announcement that has educators asking serious questions.

“I don’t know where the money came from. I’m not privy to that. It would be nice to know,” said Ann Wilkins, president of the Indianapolis Education Association

White announced his retirement on Tuesday.

“This is probably a good settlement, and it’s not about hassling. We will satisfy the agreement of the contract and we will go forward,” he said.

The district will pay White and his replacement, at least, over a two-year period to cover the length of his contract.

Fox59 viewers sounded off about the decision on Facebook. One viewer wrote, “Really? No wonder our system’s so broke! No man is worth that!”

Another viewer wrote, “We need to fire the people that approve these golden parachute contracts.”

“There have been budget cuts, there have been riffs, and just a lot of turmoil,” said Wilkins.

IPS has suffered through two rounds of layoffs and budgeting issues. Last May, dozens of teachers and staff members lost their jobs in a $27 million budget cut. A year earlier, IPS cut $21 million, forcing several hundred people out of work.

“I believe that he was very gracious and understanding that new boards have new visions, and he wanted to honor us as much as we wanted to honor his request to retire,” said Diane Arnold, president of the IPS School Board.

White joined IPS in July of 2005, and while he has faced growing criticism about the loss of a few schools to a state takeover, the progress at IPS and some of his alternative ideas, Wilkins believes he made a positive impact on kids.

“He tends to be progressive, and that makes people uncomfortable,” Wilkins said.

The district listed his accomplishments on its website. Among them is a full-day kindergarten program, a decrease in the dropout rate and an increase in the graduation rate.

“‘What’s next?’ That’s my question. What’s next, and as long as it’s good for the kids in the district, I don’t have a problem with it,” Wilkins said.

The school board is now looking for White’s temporary replacement. No timeline was given on a permanent replacement.

INDIANAPOLIS – This will mark the final school year for IPS Superintendent Dr. Eugene White, who stands to make nearly $800,000 in a retirement deal.

White made a brief announcement Tuesday night announcing his intention to retire effective April 5. The Indianapolis Public School Board Commissioners accepted his decision and thanked White for his service.

“At the end of the workday on Friday, April 5th, I will retire from the IPS school district,” White told the board. “There’s been speculation, but this is a decision that’s a heartfelt decision and I’m just thankful for the privilege of serving the young people of this community.”

Board president Diane Arnold said they are prepared to pay White nearly the entire balance of his remaining contract, which runs until 2015. Though negotiations are not yet final, Arnold said White made roughly $374,000 a year when factoring in benefits, so he would likely receive nearly $800,000.

“We’re very grateful for his leadership. We think there’s been a lot of progress, but this is a new board and I believe that he was very gracious and understanding that new boards have new visions,” Arnold said.

“He wanted to honor us as much as we wanted to honor his request to retire,” she added.

“This is probably a good settlement, and it’s not about hassling. We will satisfy the agreement of the contract and we will go forward,” White said.

Fox59 had previously learned that White didn’t plan to complete the remainder of his contract, which runs through 2015.

White joined IPS in July 2005 after serving 11 years as superintendent of Washington Township.

“It has been a privilege to work on behalf of IPS students and to partner with our parents, community and school staff,” White said. “We have accomplished much in the last seven years and I am proud of the progress we have made.”

During his tenure at IPS, White created the district’s full-day kindergarten program and reduced the dropout rate from 36 percent in 2007 to about 18 percent in 2012. The graduation rate also improved from 44 percent in 2005 to 65 percent in 2012.

White spearheaded efforts to reform music and athletic programs and created four district secondary magnet programs.

In recent years, criticism toward White mounted in response to slowing improvement and White’s resistance to some reforms, which included transferring administrators from failing schools instead of replacing them.

In 2011, the State Board of Education voted to take over four struggling IPS schools, putting them in the hands of private operators. IPS has also lost thousands of students to charter schools and a few hundred more to school vouchers to private schools.

Despite the recent criticism, White said it wasn’t until the latest IPS school board election in November, in which three new members were voted in, that he realized he no longer shared the same vision as the board.

“That is definitely proof that the community wants to pursue those kind of reforms and I think that, for the good of the district we want to support that,” White said. “It’s almost like a dance. You get coordinated with each other. They will select someone who will definitely be in step with their vision.”

“I think we’ve made a lot of progress,” Arnold said. “But I think as Dr. White said, we’re ready to kind of take it to the next level.”

White received the second of two Indiana Superintendent of the Year awards while at IPS (2009) and was the 2007 National Association of Black School Educators Superintendent of the Year.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard issued the following statement regarding White’s retirement:

“Eugene White’s tenure as IPS Superintendent was a time of many challenges and successes. I appreciate his service to our community and look forward to a continued strong relationship with IPS as we work to advance the educational needs of our children in Indianapolis.”