On Tuesday, February 11, several advocates went to the statehouse to support Senate Bill 518. The statehouse was packed with both people who support and oppose this bill. We support Senate Bill 518 because we know there is a significant funding gap between school types in Indianapolis, with charters receiving an average of $7,900 less per student compared to traditional schools. When you total up this gap, it means public charter schools are receiving over $100 million less in funding compared to traditional public schools. If we removed the charter vs. traditional framing, and all the built-up politics that have sewn division rather than generate solutions, I would find it hard to believe any person would argue that two public schools in the same zip code should have vastly different resources.
It is our hope that the dialogue with district leaders, bill authors and community partners will continue, and that there is openness to solutions that acknowledge the fact we must do right by all 42,000 public school students within IPS boundaries.
Advocates who testified in favor of equitably sharing property taxes with all public school types waited for hours in order to testify and while they were limited it time, we hope you’ll take a few minutes to hear what they had to say:
Sashah Fletcher:
“My son has attended both traditional public schools and public charter schools. The value of his education didn’t change between those two buildings, but how much of my taxes went toward his education did. It’s definitely unfair when you think about the fact that I live in this community where I pay taxes. My neighbor lives in the same community, and we may pay the same taxes, but their child goes to a traditional public school and therefore, their student’s education is valued much higher.”
Read my full planned speech
Good morning.
My name is Sasha Fletcher, and I am a parent of a public high school student here in Indianapolis. I am here today to speak about Senate Bill 518 because I believe that how much we value a student’s education should not be determined by the type of public school building that they walk into.
Whether it’s a public school or a public charter school, our kids should have equitable funding. The students in our public charter schools deserve to have the same opportunities at school as students who attend our traditional public schools. The students in both schools deserve teachers to have better pay; deserve the money to have equipment that they need; deserve to have clean, safe and innovative classrooms; and deserve to have transportation to get them to school.
My son has attended both traditional public schools and public charter schools. The value of his education didn’t change between those two buildings, but how much of my taxes went toward his education did.
It’s definitely unfair when you think about the fact that I live in this community where I pay taxes. My neighbor lives in the same community, and we may pay the same taxes, but their child goes to a traditional public school and therefore, their student’s education is valued much higher.
And in this scenario, I’m not alone. 54% of public school students in IPS boundaries receive an average of $7,900 less for their education. Of 45,500 total K-12 students in the IPS boundaries, only 21,000 or 46%, are in traditional or non-charter innovation schools, which receive almost all the property tax dollars collected.
As a homeowner and taxpayer in Indianapolis, I would like to see my tax dollars applied to both our traditional public schools as well as our public charter schools.
I am really glad to see this bill and hope that it results in the equitable sharing of property taxes between IPS and charter schools.
Shawanda Tyson:
“We need to look past the politics and the debates about school type. It should be about the students. And I don’t think we should value a student less because of the type of building they are walking into. With the student is where the money belongs. When it comes to education, we should be fighting for the same mission, to make sure our kids get a quality education.”
Read my full planned speech
Good morning.
My name is Shawanda Tyson and I am a public-school parent of two children – one in the 10th grade and one in the 4th grade.
Both of my sons currently attend charter schools — Paramount Brookside and Believe Circle City High School, which is an innovation charter school in the IPS portfolio. While they currently attend charter schools, they have both also attended traditional public schools in IPS. I support both school types and because of this, I would like to see both school types funded equitably.
Right now, our traditional school students receive much more funding than our students who attend public charter schools.
I think we need the equitable sharing of property taxes.
We need to look past the politics and the debates about school type. It should be about the students. And I don’t think we should value a student less because of the type of building they are walking into. With the student is where the money belongs.
When it comes to education, we should be fighting for the same mission—to make sure our kids get a quality education.
I know this would be an adjustment for IPS. I do support and love IPS. But I know it can be done. I have also advocated at IPS for them to share property taxes because no matter the school type my son’s attend, I believe it has to fair. I believe the tax dollars need to go to the students.
It bothers me that we value kids differently based on the type of building they walk into. I just don’t think it is right. All our schools need resources, and every child deserves opportunities and great teachers.
It also bothers me that transportation isn’t always offered at charter schools because they are in charge of funding their own buses and can’t always afford it without their share of these taxes. It means even of a charter school is a good option for your kid…sometimes you just can’t get them there.
I am glad to see this bill and I hope you will support sharing property taxes with all our public schools, including public charter schools. Thank you.
Dontia Dyson:
“The benefit I have experienced in innovation schools such as matchbook school 63, the school one of my son’s attends now, has been the autonomy. Their ability to adjust to the needs of students. I have seen and felt this. But along with that choice, I want to see equity in how our schools are funded.”
Read my full planned speech
Hello Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy committee members,
My name is Dontia Dyson. I am here to support Senate Bill 518 because as a parent, I want to make the choice to send my kid to the school that is best for them and I want my child’s public education to be funded the same, no matter if they attend a charter school, innovation charter school or a traditional school in IPS.
I believe we should have equity in how our schools are funded.
I have two children in the IPS district right now. My children have attended traditional schools in the district as well as innovation schools. As a parent, I like to have the choice to send my children to a school that best works for them.
The benefit I have experienced in innovation schools such as matchbook school 63, the school one of my son’s attends now, has been the autonomy. Their ability to adjust to the needs of students. I have seen and felt this. But along with that choice, I want to see equity in how our schools are funded.
All our public schools should be accountable to our kids. All our schools need resources for our kids. All schools need to be able to support our kids with great teachers, buses and making sure they are getting a great education. All our public schools, therefore, should have access to their equitable share of property taxes.
I know my children deserve equitable funding, no matter what public school they go to. The tax dollars should follow the kid.
What we are doing now isn’t equitable for our students or our schools. Please make sure property taxes are shared with public schools of all types. Support Senate bill 518.
Thank you.
Joel Giles Valle:
“I think if we received more funding, our school can continue to grow these opportunities for students and make it more accessible for all. It would unlock a whole new world of possibilities for our Black and Brown students, as that is the majority population at our school.”
