Cummings to continue to serve as president of Indiana Urban Schools Association
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Todd Cummings, Ph.D., Superintendent of South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC), has been named President of the Indiana Urban Schools Association (IUSA) for a second term in the 2024-25 school year.
The IUSA advocates for policy and financial support for urban-based students. The association includes 36 member districts from the region, providing input on proposed legislation to local representatives, and offering insight as to how educational bills impact students in their districts. The committee discusses proposed legislation with local representatives and ensures that its members are well-informed about educational bills and their impact on students in their districts.
“We are grateful and pleased to welcome Dr. Cummings as our president,” said IUSA Executive Director David Marcotte, Ph.D. “In his superintendency and years as a member of our association, he has shown true dedication to those students in South Bend whose circumstances hinder their access to excellent and equitable education. His work at the district and state house levels has led to improved literacy and graduation rates. We know his leadership will benefit students and educators here in Indiana.”
As the longest-serving superintendent of South Bend Schools in nearly 25 years, Cummings has prioritized and improved literacy and graduation rates-raising both to the highest levels in a decade-provided free and accessible internet, arranged for free college courses and credits for high school students culminating in high school seniors graduating with associate degrees from IVY Tech, expanded Career and Technical Education opportunities and certifications, and improved social-emotional supports. In 2020, the SBCSC led a successful $220 million referendum that raised teacher salaries, offered more secure and safe buildings, placed a social worker in each building, and expanded Pre-K opportunities.
IUSA is a 501(c)(4) organization representing 37 Indiana public school districts that educate nearly 370,000 Hoosier students, intending to remove barriers for children living with different life circumstances. The association supports modernizing the complex index funding formula process to accurately reflect the services required to equitably support students of poverty, high mobility, English language learners, and special education populations.