African American Coalition (AACI) of Indianapolis Statement on Education Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release
Monday, March 24, 2025

 African American Coalition of Indianapolis Statement on Education 

Indianapolis, IN – March 24, 2025 – Taking funds from one group of children to give to another group of
children is not improving funding for education of children—it’s a failure to provide the resources that
all children need.

Unfortunately, our public policy debate has missed this fundamental truth pitting education reform
objectives against IPS and the community instead of advocating for better funding of education for all
students.

In both SB 1 and SB 518 the Indiana General Assembly is considering legislative proposals that would
substantially impact K-12 education in Indiana.

While SB 1 seeks property tax relief we note that public schools will be negatively impacted as they rely
on these dollars.

SB 518 as it left the Senate, is a proposal supported by education reform organizations that also diverts
property tax dollars from IPS traditional schools and redistributes it to charter schools.
The SB 518 proposal and its endorsement by education reform organizations is striking in both its
radical impact on IPS and the lack of community engagement that occurred with entities that purport to
be partners with IPS.

IPS has estimated that approximately 20-25 schools would close due to the impact of SB 518.

The community engaged in a series of public meetings and conversations around Rebuilding Stronger, a
plan that was presented to the community for review and input.

Once engaged the community strongly supported the IPS Rebuilding Stronger referendum with 59% of
voters approving a plan for moving the district forward.

Education reform organizations did not engage in a similar level of community outreach and are seeking
to advance proposals that are ultimately harmful to traditional public and innovation charter schools.

They are doing this to the community instead of with the community.

Tactics by any group to intimidate IPS into acquiescing to demands that would destroy it are
unreasonable and can’t be tolerated. The community stood with IPS when it supported the IPS
Rebuilding Stronger referendum and further supports its efforts to change.

We note that part of the reason charter schools were added to the education landscape was that
proponents agreed to receive less money than traditional public schools.

Charter schools were supposed to provide better educational outcomes for less dollars forgoing both
building and transportation funding. We note that the wide variation in performance of charter schools is
similar to that of traditional public schools.

And while there have been misleading attempts to suggest one system is better than the other, the reality
is that the educational landscape has not been improved by the experiment with charter school
saturation.

Indianapolis is known for innovation not superior education outcomes.

There has been a concerted effort to confuse and mislead the community by focusing on growth and
other metrics.

Parents should expect that if they send their child to a traditional public school, charter school or private
school for 180 days that their child should be proficient—or able to pass state English Language Arts
and Math tests.

Parents must do their part to ensure accountability toward proficiency, but we must stop confusing the
goals of public education.

Parents should also expect the Indiana General Assembly to properly fund education with funding that at
a minimum meets inflation if not exceeds inflation. Paltry increases of 2% when inflation has been as
high as 9% in recent years is not fiscally responsible.

SB 518 is a radical proposal whose consequences have not been fully considered because proponents
seek to impose their will on the community instead of working with the community to arrive at a
solution that works for all schools.

We are not opposed to choice. But we do expect accountability. We are not opposed to charter or private
schools but there must be a public education system that holds all schools equally accountable to better
serve all students.

We must figure out how to fund all children instead of picking winners and losers—because in picking
winners we all lose.

Baptist Minister’s Alliance
Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis
Exchange at the Indianapolis Urban League
I Am Health Education
Indiana Black Expo
Indianapolis Urban League
Indy Black Chamber of Commerce
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance
Interdenominational Ministers Alliance
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Alpha Alpha Omega Indianapolis Alumni Chapter
National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Indianapolis Chapter Inc.
Purpose 4 My Pain
The Black Church Coalition
The Father’s Foundation
The Ross Foundation