Sunday night, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and Pike Township canceled school for yesterday. The cancellation was due to the massive teacher absences caused by protests at the statehouse.
Teachers’ frustrations result from current and potential legislation being passed by the Indiana state government. These laws would heavily decrease public school funding in attempts to divert it to charter and private schools.
“We spend half of our school budget on public education in the state of Indiana,” Governor Mike Braun said in a gubernatorial debate hosted by WFYI before the 2024 election. “We have a lot of work to do to rethink education and work from the ground up.”
Reworking the education system in Indiana has been one of Braun’s priorities since before he was in office. By implying too much is being spent on public education, Braun made it clear that funding would likely be cut if he were elected into office.
Public school funding is inevitably being cut now that Braun is in office.
Legislators are attempting to cut public school funding through property tax legislation. The potential $744 million at stake for public education in Indiana is the purpose behind yesterday’s statehouse rallies.
Legislators then attempt to divert the property tax dollars to charter school funding. The final vote on the property tax legislation is this week on the Senate floor.
The legislation cutting public school funding will likely directly impact WTS funding. As an inner-city public school, most of WTS’s funding comes from tax dollars from WTS residents.
Nonetheless, WTS did not close school yesterday, and most teachers are present at school.
“Generally speaking, our teachers are great about putting in when they’re going to be out so we can plan accordingly,” Assistant Principal Nick Brewer said. “To my knowledge, no one was told they could not participate, and we encourage our teachers to exercise their democratic rights.”
WTS almost always has substitute teachers for absent teachers, and while very few teachers were absent yesterday, it would likely not have been a problem worth closing school had more teachers been absent.
Though teachers were not absent yesterday, tensions are rising among public school teachers and families regarding current legislation.
“Charter schools are not held to the same standard as public schools,” English teacher Jocelyn Sisson said. “However, they take dollars away from public schools.”
The public school community is extremely concerned about charter schools taking money from public education funding.
“Vouchers now are being given to people who make $500,000 a year,” Sisson said. “It’s welfare for the wealthy.”
Typically, the mean family income of families who place their students in private schools is higher than that of families who place their students in public schools. Vouchers to help them pay for their child’s education are likely unnecessary, but they are still being given.
“In the 25 years I have lived in Indiana, I have seen a movement toward defunding public schools,” Sisson said. “Public schools are the last bastion of democracy in our country. We accept everyone who has a Washington Township address.”
Unlike private schools, public schools are inclusive of all individuals. Financial situations are never an aspect of the availability of education.
“I believe there is a movement to make us a completely bifurcated country where the wealthy go to private schools,” Sission said. “We don’t want to educate the public anymore.”
Public education is slowly declining in Indiana, and the current property tax legislation is only increasing the problem.
“If I had kids, the school they would automatically go to would be Shortridge High School,” history teacher Dave Wheeler said. “Shortridge has an outstanding reputation as one of the long-standing institutions for IPS. However, in more recent years, they were not getting quite the same amount of money as other school districts were.”
The decrease in public education funding is significant for WTS and other school districts, which is likely why IPS saw a school closure today.
“At the end of the day, sometimes taxes are necessary,” Wheeler said. “If the quality of the schools in your district is higher, that increases the value of your home. Everybody wins.”
Property taxes paid by homeowners may be worth it, as the money that goes towards school would likely raise the value of their home and the district would be more desirable because of the quality of the education system.
“Our schools are emblematic of what is public,” Sisson said. ”Now people who are wealthy or don’t support the public are opting out of public institutions.”
People who have the money to send their children to private schools are doing so, and people who need public education funding to educate their children may be left behind if current legislation is passed in Indiana.
