Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is the largest school district in Indianapolis, and the second largest school district in the state of Indiana as of 2021, behind Fort Wayne Community Schools. The district's headquarters are in the John Morton-Finney Center for Educational Services. The district's official name is the School City of Indianapolis, and it is governed by a seven-member Board of School Commissioners. It generally serves Indianapolis' closest-in neighborhoods—essentially, Center Township and a few portions of the surrounding townships. Indianapolis Public Schools is the only school corporation in central Indiana to offer choice programs at no cost to students. The Indianapolis Public Schools district operates a number of public schools that are significant to the history of both Indianapolis and Indiana. In particular, Indianapolis Public Schools operates Shortridge High School, the first public high school in Indiana; Arsenal Technical High School, a multi-building campus located on the grounds of a former U.S. Civil War Arsenal; and Crispus Attucks High School, the first public high school in Indiana to serve black students in compliance with school segregation. History Public schools in Indiana (1800s) The state of Indiana was admitted to the Union in 1816, with Indianapolis receiving its charter in 1847. That same year, the people of Indiana voted in favor of public schools, in part due to efforts by Indiana citizens; one of these citizens includes Caleb Mills, for whom the current Shortridge High School auditorium is named. As a result of the referendum, a tax levy of 12½ cents per $100 of assessed valuation of property tax was established. Foundation and early beginnings (1850s-1900s) In 1853, Indianapolis incorporated its school system. A few years later, however, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in an 1858 decision that it was unconstitutional for cities and towns to levy taxes in support of public schools. As a result, all public schools were closed and rented to teachers, although many reopened in 1860. From 1864 to 1916, three high schools opened under the school district. The first was Indianapolis High School (later renamed Shortridge High School in 1885) in 1864, as the city's first public high school. The school opened in the Marion County Seminary Building, although it was later moved to its present location. The second school was Manual Training High School, later to be known as Emmerich Manual High School, and it was opened in 1895. In 1916, Arsenal Technical Schools, which