William Penn Middle School 49

10/27/2026

A great day! Thanks, Junior Achievement of Central Indiana for being such a wonderful partner!

10/21/2026

Thanks to school board candidate Lindsey Cornett for IPS for stopping by to help with 6th grade lunch duty today! We love when candidates stop by to meet our Penn Tigers!

10/21/2026

American Piano Awards 2026 Finalist Brahm Sasner paid a visit to our advanced orchestra class recently! He played some fantastic jazz piano music for us and taught us how jazz musicians build chords like building snowmen in the winter!

We also did an awesome “Secret Song” Project where we figured out mystery melodies!

Music education is thriving at Penn!

10/20/2026

Today, IPS officially unveiled the new STEM Future Center at William Penn Middle School 49! ✂️🎉

The new facility is funded by the Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation with the support of a $5.5 million grant, over the course of five-years, awarded by the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation to support the Destination 2032 STEM initiative. Destination 2032 is focused on helping IPS students build STEM skills and explore career opportunities before graduating high school in 2032.

The new Future Center space gives students more opportunities to explore careers through hands-on STEM activities, academic tutoring, career exploration, and coaching to build skills for the workplace.

10/13/2026

William Penn Middle School 49 Named Indiana’s 2026 STEM School of Excellence

Students and staff at William Penn Middle School are celebrating a major statewide honor after being named the 2026 Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) STEM School of Excellence.

One of seven IPS middle schools, William Penn received the award Friday, Oct. 2, during the IDOE’s 5th Annual Educational Excellence Awards Gala. William Penn was the lone recipient of the statewide STEM School of Excellence award and will receive a $20,000 monetary gift to support its STEM programs.

The award recognizes the school’s strong commitment to high-quality STEM instruction that’s accessible to all students, and its focus on hands-on instruction with real-world application for William Penn scholars.

Students and staff at William Penn Middle School are celebrating a major statewide honor after being named the 2026 Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) STEM School of Excellence.

09/28/2026

Join IPS Superintendent Dr. Aleesia Johnson for a conversation about the 2026 Operating Referendum this Wednesday 6 p.m. at William Penn Middle School 49.

During these conversations, IPS parents, students, staff, and local community members will gain a clear understanding of how this referendum will impact public education across the city, why funds must be shared between IPS and charter schools, and more.

Learn more at myips.org/news.

09/27/2026

Vivian, Dajia, Prince, and Ms. Jones presented at this week’s board meeting about our Future Center’s success! Thanks for representing us so wonderfully!

09/27/2026

Congrats to our awesome Penn alum, Angel! He’s marching in the trumpet section with the IPS All-City Marching Band and took 3rd place at the Avon Invitational yesterday—one of the state’s biggest and toughest local competitions! We’re so proud that his journey began at Penn!

The Music Department at Penn is thriving! Our first performance is coming up October 29th; we hope to see you there!

09/27/2026

Here are some of our September Students of the Week! We’re SO proud of them!

09/27/2026

STEM Connection and JA Job Spark
field trips! Hands-on learning and career exploration= true STEM education!