IPS And IU Health Expand Crispus Attucks with A $44 Million
IPS And IU Health Expand Crispus Attucks with $44 Million Project
INDIANANAPOLIS –Indianapolis Public Schools and Indiana University Health are putting $44 million into an expansion at Crispus Attucks High School, a project leaders say will give students more opportunities to pursue healthcare careers and strengthen the surrounding community.
IU Health CEO Dennis Murphy says the investment is part of a larger effort through the Indy Health District, which he says will improve health and opportunities in neighborhoods near the future hospital campus.
“One of the founding notions in our program we’re calling the Indy Health District is the idea that the life expectancy in the neighborhood around the new hospital is 20 years lower than if you live in Carmel or Westfield,” Murphy said.
Murphy said the difference is not driven only by access to healthcare, but by factors including education, jobs, housing and safe communities.
“The conditions in which they’re living, whether that’s good schools, job opportunities, safe communities, great housing, those are the things that drive health,” he said.
The Indy Health District spans from 9th Street to 36th Street and from Meridian Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Street. Murphy called it the largest health district project in the country and said the work will take decades.
“This is a long-term project. We’re looking at 25 years, but it has to start now,” Murphy said. “We’ve been working on this for the past six years and will continue to work on it.”
Crispus Attucks High School is the closest high school to the future IU Health hospital campus, making it a key partner in building a pipeline of future healthcare workers.
IPS Superintendent Dr. Aleesia Johnson said the expansion builds on the school’s history while creating new opportunities for students.
“We are so excited to be here today with our partners at IU Health and the Indy Health District to kick off this expansion of a historic school and campus here at Crispus Attucks,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the school’s legacy of resilience will continue through updated learning spaces designed to support students for years to come.
“It’s not just your teachers who care about you. It’s not just your family,” Johnson said. “It’s our corporate community members like you have a whole community of folks who are rooting for you and want to have you in spaces that reflect the love and care that we feel for you.”
The expansion will include four specialty classrooms, updated learning spaces and facilities designed to support career-focused education, including healthcare pathways.
The project is funded through a $25 million investment from IU Health, in partnership with the Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation, along with additional IPS bond funding.
