INDIANAPOLIS – Stand for Children Indiana (Stand Indiana) today announced a gift of $50,000 to the Vote Yes for IPS political action committee to support the district’s 2023 Capital Referendum.
The PAC contribution was supported by Stand Indiana parent advocates, who met in March to discuss the organization’s position on the May 2 referendum. During their meeting, parents discussed the dire need for improvements and their ultimate wish for every student enrolled in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) to have facilities that support learning and the health and safety of young people.
Some Stand Indiana parents have children in buildings that are slated for improvements as part of the capital referendum, while others spoke to the community benefits of having improved facilities in neighborhoods across Indianapolis.
“I support the capital referendum because all IPS kids deserve a safe place to learn,” Edison School of the Arts parent Swantella Nelson said. “I hate to think that any IPS kid is learning in a building that isn’t secure or has major safety issues.”
“There are huge disparities between IPS and school districts just north of us,” George Washington Carver 87 parent Sherry Holmes said. “My kids attend a school that I love, but [the building] needs much better security and classrooms that are a comfortable temperature.
“Kids 30 minutes away attend schools that are luxurious in comparison and give them huge advantages solely based on their ZIP codes,” Holmes continued. “Those advantages equal opportunity. I support the IPS capital referendum because our kids deserve an upgrade, and they even deserve more.”
“As parents, we want our children to have quality buildings and attend safe schools,” Ana Delgado, a parent at The PATH School at Stephen Foster 67, said.
“Sometimes it feels like we are so far from reaching the things other districts in higher income ZIP codes have but I think if we all vote to pass it, this referendum helps so many IPS children have better places to learn,” Delgado said.
In December 2022, the IPS Board of School Commissioners unanimously approved a $410 million capital referendum, which will be placed on the May 2 ballot. A facilities study conducted by IPS shows that more than 30% of IPS buildings are currently rated in “poor” condition. If passed, the 2023 Capital Referendum will allow IPS to bring all IPS elementary and middle school buildings to “good” status within eight (8) years.
