Here is a rewritten version of the title: Indianapolis Public Schools Families Gear Up for the 2025-26 School Year

Indianapolis Public Schools families are gearing up for the 2025-26 school year, with excitement and anticipation building as students prepare to return to class. For junior Destiny Currin, it's a new chapter at Shortridge High School, where she's enrolled in an early graduation program.

"It's kinda different because it's college classes, but I'm excited for it because it's preparing me for college already," Currin said.

As students and parents prepare to walk through the halls of Shortridge High School during a back-to-school night event, they're getting a chance to visit stations with school information, introductions to staff, and free resources like school supplies, books, backpacks, personal care kits, and more.

"We're setting the precedent very quickly: this is a safe and welcoming place. This is a sense of community, this is why we want people to come into our building," Principal Andrea Salmon said.

Enrollment is up for the 2025-26 school year, with around 1300 students expected to attend Shortridge High School. Just a few years ago, when Salmon became principal, the school was struggling with a 55 percent suspension rate. Last year, that number had dropped significantly to an 18 percent suspension rate.

"A lot of that has to do with the opportunities we provide kids. A safe space, a sense of community," Salmon said, attributing the success to programs like SHINE, a student-led program aimed at curbing youth violence.

SHINE, an acronym for prioritizing Safety, Health, Inclusion and Nurturing Environments, is the first of its kind for IPS. The initiative focuses on providing a safe space where students can grow and thrive every day.

This comes as city leaders consider a proposal for stricter curfew hours for young people in Indianapolis, following a mass shooting downtown during the Fourth of July weekend that claimed the lives of two teens.

For mom Juliet Kelly and her daughter Amoura, youth gun violence is a top concern. "You need to be off and away from that type of situation and protect yourself at a certain time. Try to be safe. We want the youth to love each other and not be exposed to that kind of violence. It's just devastating," Kelly said.

Mom Crystal Barney, who has three daughters attending Shortridge High School, encourages open dialogue with her children. "Just encouraging them that you don't have to be with the cool kids if the cool kids aren't making good decisions," she said.

The first day of school for IPS students is August 4.