Good evening.

Thanks to everybody for being here.

We are going to begin because I think we have a big agenda, full agenda tonight.

We want to make sure that we give everybody who has signed up to speak an opportunity to speak and not get out of here too late.

Before we do our regularly scheduled meeting, we are going to have a public hearing on consideration of additional appropriation.

Under Indiana law, public bodies like IPEC must appropriate funds before we may spend them.

The General Assembly allocated funds for IPEC operations and IPAC has provided notice of the intent in today's meeting to appropriate the funds.

We're now taking public comment on the appropriation of funds.

At this point in the meeting, we are not discussing or taking comment on anything else.

So please save your comments on the referendum or any other topic to the later parts of the meeting.

You will have your chance to speak for sure.

But we want to open up the floor now for people who want to speak about the appropriation before we officially start the IPEC meeting.

So Roman, I will turn it over to you to give us our instructions and start to call people forward to speak.

And while we're waiting for Roman, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge that we have the president of the City County Council here today.

Thank you.

We're honored by your presence and the superintendent of the Indianapolis Public Schools.

So thank you both for being here.

Okay.

Each speaker will be limited to three minutes.

Speakers will be called in the order that the responses were received through the public comment sign-up form that close today at noon.

All speakers must be physically present at the meeting to provide their public comment.

No proxy speakers or stand-ins will be allowed.

So I'll call up two names at a time and I'll do my best to pronounce each name correctly.

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

When your name is called, please come forward and state your name.

And as always, each speaker will have three minutes to provide a comment.

The timer will be displayed on the screen, and a sound will indicate when your time has ended.

When the timer goes off, please conclude your remarks.

First, we have Dante Dyson, followed by Deontay Grimes.

We haven't started the meeting yet, so we will do that just as soon as we start the meeting.

He's in the elevator.

Is Franco Starz here?

Costell Martin.

Floor Maldonado.

These parents want to speak on the referenda.

Okay, we can put that.

We can put them in the federal at the very end.

Okay, we've got like Beyonce and also Dontia.

Dante.

Okay.

Is Chloe Henson here?

She's another one for the reference.

Girling Thomas.

Referendum.

Okay, so all of them will be last.

All right.

So we have no speakers here on the appropriation of funds.

Yes.

So I will now entertain a motion to close the public comment period.

Motion to close public comment.

We have a motion and a second.

All those in favor say aye.

Those opposed, nay.

Great.

It is now my pleasure to officially open the June 22nd, 2006 meeting of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation.

And we have a lot of things to get through tonight.

Uh just want to begin by thanking everybody on this board and many of the people in the audience for the work that they've been doing over the last several weeks since our last meeting.

We have three working groups that have been active.

We have the referendum working group, and we'll say much more about that here in a second.

We have the executive director working group, and we have reviewed the 36 applications we've gotten for that position.

And then we have the performance framework working group that has also been working and that will start to gear up more in the next few weeks once we get through today's meeting.

But at this point, John, we will entertain a motion to approve the minutes.

So moved.

We have a motion from Mr.

Hammond.

Second from Ms.

Thomas.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Those opposed.

The motion is approved.

We are now going to consider the resolution approving additional appropriations, and I will turn it over to Mr.

Mays to explain all of that.

So under uh Indiana law, political subdivisions like school corporations, like cities, like towns, and like municipal corporations, such as IPEC have to go through a budget process, get their budget approved by November 1st for the following calendar year.

Obviously, IPEC couldn't do that.

It did not exist until March 31st of this year.

Although House Enrolled Act 1423 granted it funds distributed by the county auditor upon request made to the county treasurer.

And so we've made that process, or follow that process, made that request.

And now instead of approving it through a budget process, Indiana Code directs as well as the Department of Local Government Finance that we need to follow the additional appropriation process.

So we posted notice of that and have now gone through the public hearing process and now are considering the resolution just following the statutory process to appropriate funds before there's ever any expenditures of funds by this body.

And so what you'll see in future meetings, this body will then approve claims.

You'll approve the expenditure of funds, and then we'll have more detailed budgets as the years go on, and as you engage financial experts, chief financial officer, and the like.

So that's the overall process of why we have to do an additional appropriation this year because we didn't have a budget approved last year.

Any questions from board members?

Any questions?

Great.

I would entertain a motion to approve the appropriation of additional funds.

Miss Thomas, Ms.

Castaneda.

We have a motion and a second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Motion passes.

Thank you very much.

All right.

The lawyers think that's good news that we pass that.

So we're now going to move on to the what is going to be the bulk of the meetings, and that is the focus on the referendum.

And I just wanted to make a few comments up front before we have a discussion, both with the community, and thank you so many members of the community for coming out tonight, but also among the board members.

Um we have been given uh a fairly tough assignment, which was to come up with a number in a very short period of time without any permanent staff and without any money to hire any sort of external experts.

So in the future, we'll have all of those things, but this time we didn't, and I think nonetheless, people came together in a really impressive way.

These are very, very difficult decisions.

We heard from people who are in fixed incomes and who worry very much about what any tax increase could mean to them.

We heard from owners of property who worried that their renters couldn't afford an increase in taxes.

At the same time.

We heard from a lot of people who were very worried that we make sure that our kids have the resources that they both deserve and are entitled to.

Uh, to hear from so many educators, teachers, and administrators who spoke passionately about the work that they do and the needs that they have to the desires they have to meet the needs of their kids and to make sure they have the resources to do this well.

We heard both of those things, and those are very legitimate, and it makes this decision more challenging.

I think we've really, again, a lot of work has been done to try to come up with not a perfect number because there is no perfect number but the right number.

I did just want to thank a few people for the work that they put into this to start out with.

First, Dr.

Johnson, the superintendent of the Indianapolis Public Schools, I know has put a lot of effort into this and has been such an effective advocate for her district, her deputy superintendent Andrew Strobe, who's put a lot of work into this.

All of the commissioners who are on this board have put a lot of time into that, including weekend time, and really appreciate those efforts.

The Indianapolis Chamber has put a lot of effort into this.

Jeff Harrison is here today, Matt Mindram, Taylor Hughes, I see Susan Preble in the back.

We really appreciate your time.

Together, Ed and Andy Seibert, made uh significant efforts and spoke to this group.

I do also want to just acknowledge our acting executive director who has put an enormous amount of time into this effort and brings a lot of experience that I think is we have all benefited from.

He was the president of the IPS board in 2018 when a referendum was passed, and he was a co-chair of a campaign to get the 2023 IPS referendum passed.

So I appreciate his efforts.

And then to our working group, Patricia Ashley and Dexter, who put lots and lots of time in on behalf of all of us.

And so just a big thank you to all of you, and I want to also just again uh the president of the city county council has been at several of our meetings, and it's when I read the newspaper, I realize she has a lot of things on her plate, and so it's really grateful that you care enough about this to be here and be a part of this process.

So thank you so much.

We have a lot of work to do tonight, so we're not done.

I'm not saying we're done.

We have work to do tonight.

We want to hear from the community, we want to talk among ourselves.

Um, but I just wanted to make those opening comments, and now I will turn it over to our acting executive director.

And if the uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman, if the chair allows, I'd like to do a couple of brief opening paragraphs also before we get to the slides.

So, as an introduction to what we will be considering today, I first want to thank as David has all who've been involved in this very important but also very difficult conversation.

We are tasked with determining how much to ask our neighbors to voluntarily raise their own taxes to further fund public education efforts within the Neapolis Public School District.

All of us have had conversations with individuals and fellow district residents.

Some want us to propose a very large increase in taxes, and some want us to propose no tax increase at all.

And many are somewhere in the middle.

And what I'll walk through with you this evening is my individual best effort with lots of input, lots of help, lots of smarter people than me putting pen to paper to come up with numbers and what those numbers mean.

But it is that a best effort to find a place where we as a community can land and to do so with a high degree of certainty that the amount we choose will pass muster with the voters in November.

I've worked in public policy for over 40 years, and my experience as a past environmental commissioner for the state of Indiana, as a past Chief Deputy Mayor for the City of Indianapolis, as a past commissioner and board member of IPS, is that the best decisions make everyone a little uncomfortable, a little unhappy, and require all sides to stretch a bit outside their comfort zone to come to an agreement.

And that's what I will recommend to all of you tonight.

A proposed referendum amount that will be too high for many, too low for many others, but that will allow the education system we are tasked with overseeing the ability to operate, make decisions about right sizing and streamlining in an orderly fashion, addressing the well-recognized challenge of too many seats for too few students, all while doing our best to operate as efficiently as possible for the taxpayers of this district.

So, as part of my presentation, and I will periodically look over my left shoulder here, remind you all that some of these slides you've seen before.

There are a little over 42,000 students attending public schools of all types within the IPS boundary, with roughly half in traditional public schools and half in public charter schools.

Again, a slide you have all seen, but just a reminder of how we've evolved to utilizing referenda for operating funds in our education environment.

Pre-2008 schools relied heavily on property taxes.

In 2008, property tax caps were implemented.

State shifted some of its funding, the tuition support funds to other tax dollars, and then left a referendum option for schools to utilize to increase their operating funds.

The current eight-year operating referendum began in 2018 and expires in 2026.

And I highlighted the eight-year point because we'll talk a little bit more about our options and our decision on that.

Just another few sets of things.

These are definitions that will matter as we start talking about rates and levies and how rates of a referendum apply to max levies and over the property tax caps and the circuit breaker.

Just things again we've discussed before, but things that are important to our our decision.

I will also remind everybody that we've, as I said, as I've referred to previous slides, we've had discussions about this before.

We had referendum working group meetings on Monday, May 11th, and Tuesday, May 19th.

We had referendum listening sessions on Tuesday, or I'm sorry, Thursday, June 4th at Arsenal Technical High School, and on Wednesday, June 10th during the daytime at Northwest Middle School and Monarca Academy.

And also at the end of May last year, when we met at Vision Works or Vision Off, pardon me, we went in pretty good detail about the breadth of the options available to us.

And from in that meeting, we heard from 18 people with regards to the referendum.

A slide given to us by IPS, but just reminding you, we're not the only ones having this discussion.

There are various referendums that expire in 2026 or 2027.

The Cent Enrolled Act 1 created an environment where many school systems feel the need to conduct a referendum, pardon me, to address their operating needs.

Some have made those decisions, some will make those decisions yet this summer.

John, I think the deadline for submitting information is in early August or late July from other systems with the actual date of deadlines for all certifications.

Right, end of uh end of July.

In to my knowledge and all the cases on this slide, those school systems are pursuing an eight-year referendum.

We are in a unique situation where we have we talked about this earlier.

We could pursue a two-year, we could pursue a four-year.

We've come to the conclusion that it's best for all who will be utilizing this referendum to initiate a four-year referendum.

So ours will be unique in that case, and that will be in years two of this referendum.

We'll begin implementing an IPAC-driven transportation system in year three, an IPEC facilities program.

So we will be working alongside the results of this referendum as we make those changes.

And again, a slide that I've used before, but I think it's very important as we initiate this discussion.

As I said, I've heard from many folks all across the continuum about what they'd like us to do, what they'd like us to not do.

And we are making this decision, as other school systems are, in a very, very difficult environment.

And I've referenced the CNN poll from May of 2026 that the headline of the news article was 83% of families are experiencing some form of financial duress.

And I just have, as I've done previously, point out that some eight sixty-one percent of families have uh made reference that they've had to change what groceries they're buying to meet their weekly budgets.

Um they've had to cut back significantly on how much they drive, and some have had to take credit card debt to afford necessities.

So it is that environment that is very very difficult economic environment that we're walking into and making a decision about asking our neighbors to increase their own taxes for for education, a worthy cause, I might add.

So as we as we have discussed all along in the grid that I'm going to show again, there are various levers we can pull to make either cost cut decisions or look for additional revenue.

Um IPS controlled spending reduction levers or school closure and consolidation to continue to pursue more administrative and operational efficiencies, some of which they have already announced, staff reduction, higher teacher-student ratio, elimination of specialized instructional program models, and reduction of transportation services.

On the other side of figuring out how to generate additional revenue gathering, we've talked about pursuing at the state level, and we have had conversations with state leaders in this period about uh state relief for special education funding and English language learner funding.

And I never I never bet what the legislature's gonna do, but they have been responsive to our need.

We we think there's a $30 to $50 million deficit in what we spend versus what we get.

I would bet we're not going to get that all in one year, but I do think we'll begin to see them address it.

We've also had discussions with a variety of innovation network schools who will be receiving referendum funding, assuming this passes in calendar year 2027 for four years, and the the reasonable request of asking them to start funding some of the in-kind um expenses that that IPS incurs on their behalf now.

Um some of that may require us to change some of the innovation network agreements.

We will pursue that if if all uh if possible, and then obviously the operations referendum generates revenue for operations funding.

So this is a grid that you have seen four times, maybe more.

Um it is sort of where the continuum leads us.196 is the current referendum that expires in at the end of 2026.

It is expected to generate roughly 49 million in revenue, but we I will remind everybody that that operating referendum starting next year has to be divided with that other 50 percent of students that attend public charter schools, and then the various stops in this continuum that we've had in these discussions, negotiations, debates, and and other conversations.

The the number that I would like to point out to you, and the number I'll be recommending to you tonight is is smack dab in the middle.

It is.372.

It will generate, we estimate, and these are estimates, roughly 87.8 million a year in revenue to be divided evenly between charter schools.

You can see that division is 43.9 million to IPS, 43.9 million divided to charter schools.

We have an Excel file in your material that shows of the is it 60 or 61 charter schools that have signed up.

I believe it's 60.

Okay, I've um, and how that distribution will work based on student population.

Um the it will require an additional 20 million in spending cuts by IPS in conjunction with this group and and we hope others within the business community to look for those further cuts.

And then there has been a change recently in the discussion, when we were working through this initially, the uh DLGF and the auditor's office had estimated that the average home value within the IPS district was roughly 170 million, and statute requires that we round up to the next 50 million or 50,000, pardon me, not 100 million, 150,000.

I'm sorry, 170,000 would roll up to 200,000.

There was a recalculation of that effort.

We have learned that the average home value within the IPS district is roughly 143 million, rounded up to 153, 150,000.

Pardon me, that's a lot of numbers to be spitting out.

Um and the impact um on those home values.

The two lines um below this are one is uh against the current.196, and then the bottom line is what the ballot question will require us to describe, right?

So the the ballot question requires us to go back to zero and say the impact on your home will be on uh on an annual basis what what those numbers are in the bottom line.

One, is there any questions about this grid before I move on to the specifics of point three seven two?

These are as I said, these are numbers uh worked through and we've we've verified them.

So I will go to what we believe the abilities offsets and and opportunities um uh are at point three seven two.

Um it is a it is a um working cost estimate of roughly 44 million against the budget.

IPS has already announced um 17 million um in cuts plus another 7 million in cuts, which creates a deficit of 24 million.

We believe in in working with IPS and they've initiated at least some discussions that they believe they can find another 10 million in efficiencies.

We will obviously offer our all of our efforts and assistance to get to that number.

The current um in-kind services value that we believe we can again.

One of the things in talking to the innovation network schools we have discussed is not implementing that at 100% in the first year, but phasing those pay for uh of in-kind services in at a 25, 50, 75, 100% rate that'll allow us to to uh savings save some more money.

We believe that's roughly annualized out at 12 million, maybe a little bit more, and then this uh opportunity we believe at the state to um continue to address the unfunded portion of English language learning and SPED.

We don't believe we'll be able to break the uh the the whole amount, but we're we're we think that by the end of this referendum we should be able to get upwards of 20 million in savings and maybe more as we negotiate with the state.

As I said, this this point 372, there's not magic, there's not science to this number.

We were working from two ends of a spectrum.

Um we we got very close to different agreements.

Um this is this is really anchoring at the center.

It will require very difficult cuts to be made.

It will require very difficult conversations.

As I said, one of the truisms that came out of the Indianapolis uh local education alliance was the acknowledgement that in the education system within the IPS district today, we have too many seats for too few students.

Uh the result of resolving that will require difficult decisions and us working together and us working with families to deal with what those impacts mean by way of closing schools consolidations, asking schools that are operating at roughly forty-two percent uh of occupancy to perhaps merge uh looking at ways in which we can gain efficiencies in the transportation system, looking at ways in which we can make administrative cuts that aren't uh in the classroom, and then uh working through this because in the end we are asking taxpayers for significantly more dollars, and we owe it to them to while we're working through this process not wait for four years to make those cuts, but to work through those cuts in an orderly fashion over the next two to four years.

So that's where we are at point three seven two, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you.

Terrific.

So we are gonna move now to public comments and then we will have a conversation among us as a board.

So, Roman, if you could walk us through the public comment portion of this meeting.

Yes.

Each speaker will be limited to three minutes.

Uh speakers will be called in the order that responses were received through the public comment sign-up form that closed today at noon.

Um I want to remind everyone that comments should remain respectful and relevant to discussion of the consideration of the resolution approved in the presentation of a referendum levy question of voters.

I will call up two names at a time, do my best to pronounce each name correctly.

Furthermore, the timer will be on the screen and the sound will chime once your time is up.

Please wrap up your remarks.

But I will start out with a quote from Dr.

Johnson in 2023.

She said, I have to believe that we all want for other people's children what we want for our own.

And I'm left to wonder why time and time again, IPS is asked to wait on behalf of its students to be more creative with this already strained resources to figure out another way.

And another quote from that same time frame from Tommy Reddocks of Paramount.

Paramount and its traditional charter allies with a 31% share of the sector will organize and oppose this capital and operational referendum with thousands upon thousands of voters.

Our voter turnout rate will be extraordinary.

This organizational effort will be easy because our thousands of parents know that this tax increase, earmarked for education, is not going to support their children.

So, to paraphrase Mr.

Eddox, the oppositional organizational effort will be really easy because thousands of parents know that this increase, earmarked for education for this operating referendum, may not go to support all children.

Did you know that state law doesn't require charter school board members to reside in Indiana?

How can taxpayers be assured the operating referendum funds won't be spent on flights or airline lounge memberships, like the former match book, chief compliance officer, or that by the time it's too late to figure that out, the authorizer, like OEI, will have already reauthorized their charter, even while that person was committing fraud.

You're being asked to decide if you go to the voters, what rate, what term, but have we really established conditions that earn the public support and trust?

I don't know.

IPS has previously shown how the funds will be spent, how those commitments will be tracked over time.

And that transparency built trust with parents, with educators, with staff members, with our communities.

But today, we're talking about a system where those same public dollars will be distributed across multiple entities without the same clearly defined, consistently applied expectations for transparency and accountability while also being told to just trust the authorizers.

They'll hold them accountable.

And again, those same authorizers who let upwards of three million dollars be mismanaged while reauthorizing charters.

That's a step backwards.

If we request public dollars, every recipient must be held to the same standard without exception.

Today we need to decide whether a referendum is necessary and do so in a way that expands who receives dollars but doesn't expand that accountability.

At our school this year, we've already experienced what these reductions mean in practice.

While still trying to meet the needs of every student who walks through the door.

So when we talk about cuts, it's not abstract.

Yet in the past three school board meetings, we sat there and listened to innovation charters talk about all the things that they are doing in their schools, like adding a fresh food kitchen and having more school social workers that all of us need.

So when we talk about all students, let's make sure that we talk about all means all for positive and negative.

Is Ralph L.

Island here?

As your name is called, please uh state your name as well.

All right.

Dr.

Camille Darden here.

Sierra Jones.

Good evening.

My name is Sierra Jones, and I am so proud to serve as principal of Avondale Meadows Middle School.

And we are part of the United Schools of Indianapolis Network.

We are also at IPS Innovation Network School.

I am here to voice my strong support for moving this operating referendum forward.

To know a little bit about Avondale Mills Middle School, we're located on the Near East Side.

And we serve nearly 200 students grades five through eight.

Our demographics are 98% black, 2% Latino.

Last year, 91% of our student body qualified for free or reduced lunch, and 98% of them, as I said, were students of color.

I know these funds will have a meaningful impact on our students.

Students of Avondale are public school students, and an operating referendum will ensure that they have the same access to their peers.

And I think that is substantial that they get the same access and opportunity despite where they live or what school that they choose to attend.

Thank you.

Followed by Janelle Chalmers.

What was the first name?

Jennifer Hernandez.

Maggie Lewis.

Good evening.

Again, my name is Maggie Lewis.

I have the honor of serving as the president of the City County Council.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak.

As a former member of the ILEA, I simply wanted to say thank you for your willingness to continue the work.

Thank you for your willingness to serve our community.

I recognize that the work ahead of you is not easy, but I do want to remind you that if you keep the main thing, the main thing, meaning putting our kiddos first and ensuring, excuse me, that they have access to a quality education, the work becomes slightly easier.

You're not doing this work alone.

Remember, you all are a team and our babies, our kiddos are counting on you to get this right.

So if I can ever be of any service, I'm here to help you in whatever way you see fit.

So God bless you and thank you again for your leadership.

Maurice Harbour, followed by Mikila Brown.

Well, good evening.

Proudly serving the 46208 Area Code.

Our neighborhood, as you know, faces a number of challenges, including housing instability, health and wellness uh disparities and barriers to employment.

Yet every day I see the potential of our school community.

I want to thank each of you for your willingness to serve and for the work you are doing to strengthen educational opportunities across our city.

I support the proposed referendum and the investments in representing our Indianapolis students.

As you move forward, I respectfully ask uh you weigh its impact on all communities, especially those facing those greatest challenges.

I also ask that you consider single-site schools like Liberty Grove Schools and others.

We're careful.

Uh financial planning is essential to sustaining the programs and promises we have made to our families we serve.

Together, I believe that we can ensure that every child in Indianapolis has access to an equal and effective opportunity in their schools, and I want to thank you and I will continue to support this board.

Thank you.

Markila Brown.

Hello, my name is Marquila Brown, and I serve on United Schools of Indianapolis' academic team as a network literacy coach.

As a network coach, I support all of our campuses, Vision Academy at Riverside, Avondale Meadows Academy, and Avondale Meadows Middle School.

I am here to support what IPEC recommends for the operating referendum.

Our students are public school students, and I am excited that they will now be able to benefit from tax dollars.

United Schools of Indianapolis is a great place to work because our scholars are at the center of every decision we make.

And our teacher, all of our employees have an opportunity to grow in their career through coaching, feedback, and professional development.

It is great to hear that an operating referendum will be used for charter and IPS students in Indianapolis.

This kind of collaboration is rare, and I think our community should be in full support because this is about supporting students and teachers in our city.

Thank you for hearing our perspective tonight.

Patrice Duckett, followed by Chris Boltman.

Patrice Duckett.

Chris Boltman.

Hello everyone, members of the board.

My name's Chris Boltman, and I work for Concept Schools Indiana Regional Office.

We provide educational services to Indiana Math and Science Academy schools in Indianapolis, including IMSA North, IMSA West, and IMSA Central.

I'm also running unopposed for IPS School Board Commissioner in District 4.

At IMSA, we're very proud of our strong student learning outcomes, our commitment to high quality instruction, and our focus on family and community engagement.

However, I know IMSA is not the only school in the city that serves students well.

There are public charter, district-run and innovation schools going above and beyond every day for students.

I see this referendum as a way for all public schools to move forward together to achieve great things for the students we serve and the teachers who work so hard to help them grow.

I look forward to continuing to learn more about the ways this operating referendum could benefit the more than 46,000 students attending public charter innovation and district schools within IPS boundaries.

Thank you.

Lisa Rossell, followed by Monica Schelhammer, good evening.

My name is Lisa Rosel, and I serve as the Executive Director of Special Education for Indianapolis Public Schools.

Every day I have the privilege of working alongside educators, therapists, and school leaders who share one goal, helping every student succeed.

And every day I have the privilege of partnering with families.

We celebrate the wins, brainstorm our challenges, and together determine the best path forward.

My role gives me a unique perspective on both the incredible work happening across our district and the growing needs of students and families throughout our city.

Far too often, I hear from frustrated parents who have been guided by their current school to enroll at IPS because, quote, we can provide the staffing, programming, and support their child's complex needs require.

Even though the same law applies to all public schools, we do not get to choose which students we serve, and we would not want to.

We are honored to serve every child entrusted to our care.

In fact, over the last three years, IPS has averaged approximately 1,300 students with disabilities moving into the district annually, with more than 30% arriving after count day.

While state and federal funding help support special education services, they do not cover the actual cost of serving students with intensive support needs.

As of April 1st, roughly 20% of our student population had a disability.

Of those students, 18% were served in highly specialized programming where a single seat costs between $23,000 and $52,000 a year.

The result is a significant gap between the funding received and the cost of providing services.

IPS routinely invests thousands of dollars more per student than the funding generated because the law requires it and our values demand it.

That is the promise of public education.

The question is not just about dollars, it's about whether we will continue to create the conditions that allow all students, all students, including those who require the most extensive supports to thrive.

I ask you, even beg you, please keep these students at the center as you finalize this referendum.

Every child, regardless of race, disability, language, neighborhood, or circumstance, deserves access to the resources, services, and opportunities necessary to reach their full potential.

Thank you.

Good evening, I'm Monica Shellhammer.

I'm a third grade educator at Christian Park 82 in Indianapolis, as well as one of the vice presidents of elementary for the Indianapolis Education Association as a representative of our certified staff union within IPS.

Nationally, 5 to 10% of referendum pass without the support of teachers.

I just want to let that sit for a second.

I'm not here to say whether all teachers support the referendum or not.

We don't even have a referendum to support currently, and we won't make that decision until we come back in the fall.

But without our support, you're facing an uphill battle.

You have to overcome the odds to pass a referendum that could be unpopular with educators.

I don't know that yet.

If you want to show good faith to educators and our families on both sides, we need something in return.

That could look like a couple of things.

I know the parent council came forward in May and had a list of demands that were presented to you all.

I'm just kind of tacking on to some of the things that I know our IPS Board of Commissioners have already heard me say because I look for the same things from our own board that we work with, and that is having teacher representation in the work that they're doing.

They have done that with some of the committees and having educators on.

I'm on one of them.

But we need to also have a voice here, and it's be equal representation, not just IPS teachers.

It should be representation from across the family of schools that this referendum would be going to.

We also need a moratorium.

If we're talking about the cuts that IPS has to make, we shouldn't be having new schools coming in to then share even more money with that we don't have.

IPS has had in the past dashboards for referendum spending.

They had dashboards for USR dollars during COVID, and it told you where every single penny went.

Our community is going to want that.

Our staff is going to want that, and our families are going to want that.

We need a place where we can go to see where every single penny of this referendum is going.

Thank you.

Jeffrey Harrison, followed by Verushka Castro.

Good evening, members of the IPEC board.

My name is Jeffrey Harrison, and I serve as the chair of the Indy Chamber Board of Directors.

And thank you again for your work and the opportunity to speak here this evening.

I'm here tonight on behalf of the Indy Chamber and the Indianapolis business community to express our support and encourage IPEC to unanimously pass an operating referendum at a rate of 0.372.

The chamber does not take this position lightly.

We recognize that any increase in property taxes comes at the real cost to residents, families, and businesses.

Affordability matters.

Taxpayer confidence matters.

And public dollars must be used with discipline, transparency, and a clear focus on results.

At the same time, the states for Indianapolis are significant.

Strong public schools are foundational to the strength of our city.

For kids, for and families, for neighborhoods, for employers, and for the long-term competitiveness of the Indy region.

A failure to secure sustainable operating support would create serious instability at the very moment our community is trying to build a more coordinated, accountable, and effective public education system.

The.372 rate represents a historic level of investment in public education within the IPS boundaries.

It also reflects the expectation that education leaders will continue to pull every available lever to reduce costs and improve system efficiency before asking more of taxpayers.

The business community can support this rate because it appears to have earned support from IPS board members, creating a broader consensus position and a stronger foundation for accountability, implementation, discipline, and long-term sustainability.

Changes to state funding policy have created a new challenge for schools across Indiana, including Indianapolis.

But we believe the response must be a shared approach to a shared challenge.

The answer cannot be to ask taxpayers, many of whom are already struggling that you've heard about earlier with affordability to bear the entire burden without a clear expectation of discipline, prioritization, and long-term sustainability.

Based on the information available to us, as well as local and national benchmarks, we believe the funding level now under consideration is sufficient to create and more importantly, sustain best in class public schools in the heart of Indianapolis.

This is the standard our students deserve, and it is a standard taxpayers should expect.

To be clear, difficult decisions will still be required.

Education leaders will need to right size the district's physical footprint, prioritize investment that mostly most directly supports student outcomes, and make the hard trade-offs necessary to build a system that is both excellent and financially sustainable.

But those expectations are not without a reason to withhold support.

They are the necessary work of implementation and the same kind of discipline taxpayers themselves are being asked to exercise.

For those reasons, the Indy Chamber supports moving forward with a.372 operating referendum.

We believe it is a responsible path that protects students, acknowledges the physical reality facing our schools, respects taxpayers, and gives Indianapolis the chance to build the high quality public education system we need for our city to thrive.

Thank you very much.

Firushka Castro.

Melissa Lavella.

Brian Dwart, followed by Felicia Ginsey Butler.

Good evening.

My name is Brian, Dr.

Brian Duart.

I hold a PhD in educational leadership and policy, and I study the effects of school choice and marginalized communities.

This testimony is my own.

While I support the recommendation that the referendum should be for four years, the formation of this body was hotly contested by the IPS community for exactly the reason we're here tonight.

It's awkward.

It's awkward because we're forced to beg a board whose professional profiles and voting histories have rarely favored IPS to vote in favor of fixing a fiscal crisis that Indianapolis's reform movement helped create.

By divesting from IPS while opening school after school, we're left with too many seats, too few students.

And the bill comes due on IPS's side of the ledger.

We've been told patronizingly, I'll add, that debates about school type are not helpful.

So fine.

If type truly doesn't matter, then fund all public schools fully and let the structural deficit actually close.

Not just for charters who will gain something no matter what you decide tonight, but for IPS, the district you were created in part to oversee with suspicion.

We've also heard that the loudest voices in the IPS community don't represent all kids.

However, IPS operates a portfolio model, which was a direct response to the market competition created by our city in our city by education reformers.

That portfolio model includes innovation network and innovation network charter schools, which IPS oversees.

So count those schools as part of IPS's reach, and the number of students under IPS's umbrella is nearly three quarters of this city's public schools population.

Only about a quarter attend schools entirely outside IPS's authority.

So when someone says that the IPS community doesn't speak for all kids, you should be asking by your own data that was presented, which kids are they actually talking about.

You should also be asking whether a mayor-appointed body should be making these decisions when there's a fully elected IPS board that has previously made these decisions.

We're watching your votes very closely, and your vote will tell us whether this board was ever really about coordination or if it was about managing IPS's decline on someone else's terms.

Good evening.

My name is Felicia Glensey Butler, and I serve as an assistant principal at Vision Academy of Riverside as part of the United School of Indianapolis Network.

As a charter school leader, I am here to support this board's recommendation for the operating referendum.

Referendum dollars are an investment for educators and programs across the city and directly impact our student success.

It's about our students' success.

When we're commonly supporting a children in schools, it helps our children thrive.

That's what we need to be focusing on.

Student success and what helps all students thrive.

Thank you for taking the time to hear from us from districts to charters to public, all across the city of Indianapolis.

At the end of the day, the outcome goal is all children.

Thank you.

Angie Moore, followed by Dante Dyson.

Good evening.

My name is Angie Moore, and I come before you tonight.

I am an alumnus of IPS.

I'm the proud mother of four IPS portfolio students, a community advocate, a former IPS employee, and currently a commissioner for IPS Public Schools.

First, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation.

The work you have undertaken has not been easy.

For that you deserve appreciation.

While the process has undoubtedly had moments of frustration and heartburn, I believe we must always remember who sits at the center of this work.

The more than 40,000 students receiving public education within IPS boundaries.

Every decision, every debate, every discussion ultimately comes back to their opportunities, their future, and their success.

Tonight is more, it's about more than the referendum.

It's about whether we are willing to embrace a shared responsibility for the future of public education inside the Indianapolis public schools boundary and across our city.

While we might not agree on every detail, I believe we can agree that our students deserve adults who are willing to come together, make difficult decisions, and put them first.

I am not here to debate the number.

Rather, I am here to acknowledge a need for a collaboration, for collaboration, partnership, and mutual concessions.

Public education is a shared responsibility.

No single organization, governing body, school operator, or elected official, can solve the challenges before us alone.

The referendum is not a magic bullet.

It will not by itself solve every funding challenge facing publication, public education.

What it can do, however, is send a clear signal that we're willing to work together on behalf of our children.

It can demonstrate that we that when the needs of our students is placed above our individual interests, meaningful progress is possible.

Public service often asks us to place the needs of others before our own comfort.

This process has required that of everyone in this room and our students deserve nothing less.

The reality is simple.

The only way to win big for students is to work together.

That requires trust, it requires courage, and requires all of us to remain focused on the common goal of ensuring every child has access to high quality public education.

As this work moves forward, I will stand with you as we stiffly swiftly adjust to the important task ahead: educating our neighbors, calling on them to support this effort, and ensuring that we continue to work together on behalf of the collective student body.

The work does not end with tonight's vote.

In many ways, it just begins.

As we move forward, I encourage this body to continue leading with transparency, clear communication, and a commitment to collective reporting and accountability for all students receiving public education within IPS's boundaries.

Our community deserves to understand not only how to resources are invested, but how these uh investments are improving outcomes for students.

Transparency builds trust, accountability drives improvement, and together we can we strengthen the public confidence for the shared work.

Our students are watching, our families are watching, our community is watching.

Let us show them what is possible when leaders choose collaboration over division, partnership over polarization, and a shared commitment to every student's success.

To the members of this body, thank you again for your dedication, perseverance and service.

You have my support and respect and my gratitude.

Good evening, IPAC members.

My name is Mr.

Dyson.

I am a proud father of IPS.

I come before you today, not just as a parent, but as someone that's been deeply involved in the work of our ILEA and IPS.

What I have learned that not too often, but very too often, that are conversations around school types, charter versus traditional.

It creates divisions, and parents like me do not like or care about those divisions.

We care about whether our children are safe on the bus, secure buildings, and quality education.

That's why I fully supported the creation of the IPAG, and I wanted a neutral body that holds every school charter or district to the same standards.

One authority that ensures buses are safe and reliable, buildings are maintained, and accountability is real.

Now here we go.

I'm excited about the committee and all the possibilities that come from it.

Transportation has always been one of my big issues for trying to make sure my sons who are both autistic have access to schools that works best for them.

Not always have access to transportation has made it a lot difficult, I can say.

And for the first time, we have a structure in place where IPS and charters can work together for resources to share, where focuses on the students and not on the system.

For this, I am truly grateful.

I understand that tonight's decision is going to be made regarding the referendum.

And I want to first say that I am in support of the referendum and investing in both IPS and charter schools.

We are in unfamiliar territory right now, and I know that some tough decisions are going to have to be made regarding schools.

But I trust this committee will make the right decisions for all students and for all types of schools.

Thank you for your time and your commitment to Indian's children.

Thank you.

My name is Deontay Grimes.

I am an IPS alum, and I supported the creation of IPEC.

I am grateful to be here today and for the work this group is doing to bring together public schools of all types.

When I hear the passing rate for minority students is 5.2% for black students and 7% for Latino students, it's disheartening, but unfortunately not surprising.

This has been a persistent issue for years.

It's clear that the status quo is not working, and real change is overdue.

That is why I believe in the work of IPEC.

This is an opportunity to create a system that truly serves all students, one that ensures accountability, equitable transportation, and real access to quality schools, no matter the type.

As you consider the upcoming referendum, I want you to be clear.

I support the referendum that benefits all students, both traditional IPS students and public charter students.

Our community needs a solution that includes inclusive, fair and focused on outcomes for every child, not just some.

We know that there are difficult decisions ahead around school closures, funding priorities, special education, teacher pay, and transportation.

But those decisions must move us forward.

A stronger, more unified system that works for every family.

I'm confident this committee can rise to that challenge.

Let's make sure every student has a real opportunity to succeed as a great school.

Thank you.

Let's make our kids a priority.

Through nonprofit work, she regularly connects with Haitian mothers and families to help them understand what is happening in education and how they can advocate for their children.

Many families in our community are still learning about the IPEC and what these changes mean for the students.

She's committed to continually to share information and making sure parents have knowledge that they know how to make informed decisions.

I believe we are working, I believe we are moving in the right direction and supporting both traditional and public schools and charter schools because all of our children deserve the best education possible.

I support a referendum because we need to invest in our schools, no matter what type.

I support investing in our schools, protecting special education services, supporting our teachers, and creating stronger transportation systems so families have access to schools to meet their children's best needs.

I know that these are difficult decisions ahead, but I hope every decision keeps students and families at the center.

When we work together and invest in all types of public schools, students, and our entire community benefits.

Thank you.

Okay.

For the sake of time, I'm gonna read their speech today in English.

Good evening.

My name is Flor, and I'm here tonight on behalf of five Indianapolis moms Celinda, Flor Esperanza, Noemi, and Jenny.

You've heard us here before.

While our children attend different schools and have different needs, we all believe the same thing.

Every child deserves access to a great public education.

We support the referendum because our schools need stable funding, and our students deserve strong opportunities, no matter where they go to school.

We understand that IPEC is leading our city through a period of change, and we know some difficult decisions are ahead.

We hope those decisions always put our students first.

We support the rate increase because in the referendum because it helps protect special education services, invest in teachers, and create a path toward expanding transportation so more families can access the schools that work best for their children.

We want a strong IPS and a strong charter community because when all public schools succeed, our children succeed.

Thank you for your leadership and for investing in the future of Indianapolis students.

Gracias.

Hello, good afternoon.

Good evening, members of the Indianapolis Public Education Cooperation.

My name is Girlene, and I am here today as both a teacher at a public charter school and a proud leader in the Indianapolis Haitian community.

Every day I work with students and family who want the same thing, all parents want a quality education, a safe schools, reliable transportation, and clear information about the decisions that affect their children.

As someone who serves families both inside and outside the classroom, I know that many parents are still trying to understand what these changes mean and how they'll work of IPAC will impact their children's education.

Many of the families I support are immigrants like me.

And for some, English is not their first language.

Creole or French, they want to be involved, but they often face barriers when information is not available in the languages they speak or when changes happen without enough community outreach.

That is why transparency and communication matter so much.

As IPEC move forward, I encourage you to prioritize meaningful engagement with all communities.

I repeat, with all communities, including Haitian families in other immigrant communities across Indianapolis.

Parents deserve a timely updates, translated materials, interpretation services, an opportunity to ask questions and share their experiences.

I am committed.

Yes, I am committed to helping bridge that gap.

As a leader in the Haitian community, I want to ensure families understand what changes are happening, why they matter, and how they can participate in shaping the future of our schools.

When communities are informed, they become stronger.

Advocates for their children.

When parents have access to information, they become true partners in education.

You agree?

Thank you for your commitment to creating a system that works for all students.

I repeat, all students and families.

I support the referendum because all children deserve full support.

I look forward to continue to share information with my community and working together to ensure every family has a voice.

Thank you.

So I know that was our last speaker room.

And we we had several people who signed up for the first group who actually wanted to talk about the referendum.

So we may want to check to see if anybody in the last group actually would prefer to talk about the referendum.

So I did merge the list.

We did.

I didn't merge the list.

But uh just to go for the four people who um didn't speak.

Is Ralph L.

Island here?

Ralph.

Ralph.

Hi, y'all doing this evening.

My name is Ralph Island.

I just got a little something to say.

Good evening.

My name is Ralph Island.

I live in the IPS boundaries and have several children and no civil children who attend IPS and charter schools in the city.

I just want to say that I fully support what IPC recommends for this referendum because the money will go to all public school students, which I believe is what is right.

I do want this board to consider rising cost and recommend something that is fair to both our students and the taxpayer.

This issue has been going on long enough, and I have spoken in previous situations.

Even at this point, it should be solved, and the children should come first and nothing else.

That's all I gotta say.

Thank you.

Patrice Duckett.

Felicia Ginsey Butler.

I spotted.

Frank of Stars, Sir Last Speaker.

Ready?

Hello, my name is Patrice Duckett Brown.

I am a community organizer, a former nonprofit executive, and a homeowner, and also a proud IPS product.

And I wanted to come today because I wanted to talk about my support for the referendum.

I wanted to be honest with you.

About what we're doing, but I've done my homework and I do support what is happening with everyone coming together.

I've been fortunate to work with RISE and they were able to take me to New Orleans where I can see how a group can work together for public schools, innovation schools, and charter schools to have a true partnership and really put children first.

And I accept any school that is there to take care of everyone.

And so when we talk about the referendum, I do want to say that I am in support of that.

I feel that it is time that we do put more money into our community and make sure that we all are taking care of our children because our children are first in this work.

But I do want to make sure that I am here for accountability.

When we are doing this work, we're not just doing it for charter schools and not just doing it for innovation schools, but we're doing it for everyone.

So what I expect as a pro IPS person, IPS product is that when money comes in and we're doing this work, we're doing it across the board, and there's no zero sum to this work, that everybody is getting a piece.

That does not mean the IPS gets less for everyone to get more.

Everyone gets a piece, and everyone is enhanced, not just uh settled.

And last but not least, um, I just want to also make sure that we understand that it is all about our BATNA, our best alternative solution.

So working together to figure out how everyone can be beneficial and not a zero sum.

And for so many years, I feel like IPS has had a zero-sum opportunity, and this is our opportunity now to really chase the fabric, really make sure that we're voicing for all community, voicing for all neighborhoods, voicing for all children, and making sure that everybody is being taken care of.

Thank you.

Great.

Well, thank you to everybody who participated in tonight's public discussion.

Very helpful and eliminating.

We will now open a discussion for the board.

Chair Harris.

As a member of the body, I'd like to move that IPEC board approve and officially adopt a tax rate of 42 cents for a period of four years for the purpose of planning and stability for all of our students, staff, and families within the boundary.

Great.

Do we have a second?

Second.

We have a second.

Discussion.

If not, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed say nay.

The motion fails.

Um would open for discussion or another motion.

I would like to turn your mic on.

Please excuse that.

Um I move to support the acting board of directors proposal of.372.

Do we have a second?

Second.

We have a second.

Discussion.

I do have some.

And while we do have these on the table, we have um I do want to at least explain to the IPEC board my rationale for bringing 42 cents.

Um, I want nothing more than the success of IPEC, and I do believe that if I had my druthers all by myself, I would probably be supportive of many of my community members who want us to close the gap at 55 cents.

Um, we are serving a special education.

We are serving special students in our district that we do not turn away.

And I just believe that it's important to have the discourse here in public so that others can know why I might have made that recommendation and the work that we've been doing.

Um, in 2018, IPS moved on another operating referendum, and at that time we had a different superintendent and our interim executive director was our board chair.

We said to the community that IPS would need to come back and ask for more dollars in 2026, and we are here now.

And while different people are around the table, the initial recommendation from the superintendent and team was 55 cents.

Um, I did not see that, but it was 55 cents, and I've heard from many stakeholders that it is a pressure on budgets.

I too have a budget, but I also know that we also have stakeholders and board members who believe very strongly in closing the gap.

Um, I bring 42, I brought 42 tonight for several reasons.

I think that that rate would keep IPS whole in terms of being able to generate the revenue that we are currently receiving from the 2018 referendum, about 45 million for IPS and 45 million for charter schools.

It doesn't mean that we wouldn't have to make additional cuts.

We would, but IPS would then not end up with less resources than we currently have.

Second, the medium home value in our boundary, which would be listed at about 150, 150,000 on the ballot question.

This 42 cent rate would cost a homeowner less than two dollars more than what it has been proposed.

For the 41,000 children in our boundary, that $2 a month difference represents 12 million more dollars and resources for them each year for the next four years.

If the homeowner is willing to support an $18-month dollar referendum impact, then I was believing that they might accept $20.

Third and most important across public schools in the boundary, we are seeing a lot of progress.

The class of 2025 had a 93% graduation rate, which exceeded the state average.

Both charter schools and IPS schools show growth on iLearn and iRead assessments.

Our students have access to advanced academic pathways, work-based learning experience across high schools.

Our teacher compensation is finally competitive, and we've seen an 8% increase in overall teacher retention and a 13% increase in the retention of teachers of color as a result.

I've been able to attend many graduations this season, and our students talked about what it means to be a part of IPS to be a public school student while facing some major obstacles in their lives.

IPS has food pantries and 17 schools and expanding to serve more of our families in need because we understand that we are in a challenging economic time and that our schools often are standing in the gap.

I say all this not because I don't want us to win this referendum.

We need to have dollars for our children.

Zero is not acceptable, but I thought it was very, very important for us to hear and to be able to hear some of the things that many of us hear from people who voted for us, have us in seats, ask us to sit at this table, that we don't get to just not bring up the things that they have also said.

While we do want to be fiscally responsible, it's important to me that we win for kids, but I also wanted to provide us a different alternative.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Commissioner Duke Star.

Uh, just a point of clarification on the motion.

Uh, is it to uh move to approve resolution number 13?

Yes, it is, and the second is to approve that motion.

Great.

We have that.

All right.

Um additional comments on the motion that is pending.

Commissioner Thomas.

Yes.

Um, so I am not going to be here today and pretend that I believe that this funding is enough.

Um, this rate is, I'm not gonna pretend that it's perfect.

Um, I wanted more.

I wanted more, and I want to thank our IPS president Duke Starr for lifting up and at least making a final stretch because we are here because we will make and push to give the final stretch for all of our kids.

Yes, and they are worthy of having that.

So I do want to thank you for that push for that motion.

Um, all of our schools, teachers, staff, and students and families all deserve more.

Um, at the same time, I do deeply understand the weight our community is carrying.

You know, families and business owners have been slammed by relentless cost increases, sky high electric bills to daily essentials, gas prices, all of the things, and positioning too many of our neighbors in terrible financial straits.

So I get that.

Um, but the reality at our state level is also undeniable.

When we talk about it's still just not enough, I'm saying it's still just not enough.

Our Indiana funding has been failing our schools as well, always, right?

Within the IPS boundaries alone, we are staring down at $50 million funding gap to serve our special education students, and 40 million of that comes from IPS.

When the state and the federal government shorts us like that, it forces impossible, heartbreaking choices.

Which child loses their pull-out special education sessions, which student is denied the specialized classroom and teacher that they desperately need.

It is just not enough.

Our teachers, staff, students, and families are worthy of funding that proves we actually believe in them.

They deserve a wholehearted investment in the future leaders of our city.

Our kids are worthy of more, and the truth is they have never received enough.

While this referendum is a critical lifeline, and we can't sit at zero, I cannot allow us to make this vote happen as if there's still not some real elephants in the room.

I understand that the entire burden of funding public education shouldn't fall on local taxpayers who are already struggling just to keep the lights on.

We also must stop settling for scraps, the crumbs.

We must all be ready to play big about the outcomes we expect from schools every year, ask for it all, and refuse to accept any more shorts on behalf of our children.

Because when we short our schools, we short the very future of our city, and our kids can't accept any more shorts, any more crumbs, and our community cannot be held accountable to hold up the systems that are set up to fail when it comes to educating our children alone.

It is just not enough.

So my commitment on this diet and in this space is that we are talking about accountability.

I am going to consistently be an advocate.

No matter what that rate is, we know we can't accept zero.

No matter how much I may feel like it's crumbs, I understand the implications of all of the folks who will be impacted by the decisions that we make today.

But my commitment is that I am going to hold us accountable here up at this diet to make sure that we set up accountability and transparency for how these funds are spent.

Also, what are what's our role with making sure that we are sharing the proper information with taking things to the State House?

And I'm not just talking about the special education funds, I'm talking about pre-K.

Because when we ask for crumbs, we also know the other things that get to be true.

Any educators in the room understand that we need to make sure that our children are receiving early learning and we get to do this all together.

So I don't want to say that we're gonna vote for a rate without saying what else gets to be true.

We get to have accountability and transparency on how we're spending these dollars, right?

We also get to make sure that we are advocating for across the board special education and ELL students and funding, and we also get to make sure that any of the assumptions that are in the assumptions that all access and affordability to pre-K gets to be addressed by our state, and so I'm gonna ask all of you to stand with me as we are doing this because we're going to get the cake, no more crimes.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Thomas.

Other comments on the pending motion.

Commissioner Thompson.

Is she seeing the closed so we're we're in thank you and uh good evening to everyone here, and thank you to my fellow commissioners and everyone on this board on behalf of children doing this work.

So I as we think about the future of IPS, we do really really need to rethink how we deliver education while my maintaining high expectations for every student.

Our greatest asset is our teachers, but it's also one of our greatest expenses in a time of declining enrollment and increasing financial pressure, we cannot continue to rely slowly on traditional models.

We should be investing strategically and what allows our very best teachers to reach more students more effectively.

So if we are really serious about preparing students for our future, we must also modernize the way we operate by leveraging possibly technology wisely, or and we we believe we can improve outcomes for students, strengthen access to rigorous learning opportunities, and create a more financially sustainable school system for generations to come.

So the question is whether we will use it boldly enough to ensure every child benefits from the very best teaching our district has to offer.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Other comments, Mr.

Chairman, yes, if I may, thank you.

And being part also of the working committee.

Um, thank you, Commissioner Thomas, for the conversations and the time.

Thank you, Mr.

Taylor also for being part of that conversation and the time, and to everyone that we've uh had a one-on-one or two-on-one conversations about receiving a lot of education that that I needed to have.

I just wanted to share a little bit about my process, which as a community member, a little bit different than a lot of people that are sitting at this table.

When I first came in, um, I was thinking, and we haven't talked about time yet, but resolution 13 as adopted is for a four-year term.

I thought four years was too much.

I thought two years is really what we needed to do because we didn't have a plan yet.

But um, after conversations with Superintendent uh Johnson as well as others, and uh and it is it it was very quickly something that I had to think twice about because it is really has to do with making sure that one of our partners, our very major partner, IPS in all of public education, continues to be strong and continues to to have the resources necessary to be able to function.

Um that as why I think four years is the time that we need to have this referendum for.

As far as the um the rate, um, I remember having a conversation at uh side conversation at the first meeting asking if there was much of a difference, and yes, 55 was on the board, so it was zero, uh, on the board.

And uh if there was much of a difference between 50 and 55 cents, and it was explained to me by experts in the room that when it comes to and everything that has been said here, when it comes to how are you going to pay for your light bill, are you going to pay it this month?

Are you gonna skip it this month so you can pay the gas bill and then not have to pay the gas bill next month?

You can pay enough money to be able to have your lights on, it does make a difference.

When I look at my budget and my family's budget, and I think about what is what that's going to do for my mortgage payment, I can see the difference and I can look at things that I can cut.

But when we had the public comment from um, and this was um one of our meetings, our last meeting, um there were a couple of people there that are retire folks, one retire IPS, um, Mr.

I have his name here, Cecil Joyner.

Yes, and um, and talking about with him, not only talking about it at the meeting, but also actually met with him and he brought a friend from the West the West Side Homeowners Association to sit down and spend two and a half hours talking about exactly what this meant and what the rate meant.

And at the end of all of that, showing the table that our interim executive director showed us, asking to point to where it is that this is affordable to you, to those two folks folks at the table that had that took the time to sit with me, and um, and they arrived at a lower number than what we were expect that we're actually proposing here.

They're right at 29 cents, no more than 39, and that was uncomfortable.

And that was an eye-opening moment for me as well.

So, as much as I would want to say 55 cents, and that's really what I want to say.

I do think that we need to be responsible for those folks that this really affects in a very real way, particularly retired folks that are in um that are being asked to give a lot.

Not because they don't want and it's not that they don't want to.

He loves all of, I mean, I think we all heard it.

I love my IPS board, I know my IPS board.

I don't know you, he said, so I want to introduce myself.

And um, and he wants to help, and he wants to be able to make sure that all children have an excellent school environment.

And I think all of us, after speaking to every one of you individually here, I think all of us do.

I have to agree that the rate that we've arrived at is the best rate for what we're able to do at the moment, knowing that also, as my friend and commissioner Thomas has shared, having the transparency to know where these dollars go to, and this came from this group as well, is going to be very important to be able to show where the money is going, how it's going, and having and taking in into account some of the recommendations that we've heard tonight of being transparent with how this these dollars are going to be used for all of the schools that are going to receive them.

Thank you very much, and um that's all.

Great.

Thank you so much for those comments.

Mr.

Discussion.

Yeah, just real quick.

Um, first of all, thank you to everybody that came tonight and testified.

It's not easy.

Um it takes a lot of time.

And the dedication that everybody in this room has to stabilizing this school district, this area that now all public school students will be served in.

It's gonna be very necessary.

We're gonna have to have everybody's support in this room and everybody around this table to do it.

I came in here thinking I might vote against this rate at 37, and I'll tell you why.

Um not because I thought it should be higher.

I started off at a lower rate, a dime more, 29 cents, and kind of got myself to a 34 cent level.

And all these things may not matter because we're taking a stab in the dark at trying to understand what strategically what is what how are we gonna get to this place we need to be four to five years from now.

Um but I start I had 40 pages of really good data from IPS and from Dr.

Johnson and Weston Young and others that have helped educate me.

I went back through this document from 2018 from August 21st.

There's a lot in here.

This is like a roadmap for eight years.

Much of it was accomplished, but a bunch of it was not accomplished.

We had a hundred million dollar reserve at some point, and that's apparently gone.

We have a 40 million dollar deficit.

Um our job now is to save this school corporation and to benefit our kids, you know, in a way that we're providing the best absolute quality education and having people move back into this district for that quality education.

So I I really feel strongly that with everybody's help in the community that IPEC is one of those places where we can offload the operational side of IPS in support of, in support of the learning and the quality of learning that's a will be now provided and has been provided by IPS, but now a real strong focus will be there solely by IPS.

Our job is to work on the operational side.

So um it might be grandstanding if I voted against it, just to make a point.

Um I'm grateful for the chamber.

They provided a lot of information as well, but I think at the end of it all, we've got to rebuild some public trust, which is kind of thin with a taxpayer.

We are asking for more money, we're gonna be providing more money, and we're gonna have a chance to really get into the transportation and facilities side to make a real difference when this board has that ability.

So all those things said, I'm in favor of the 37-2, the 37 cent level.

I don't like voting for it, but I'm gonna go do it because I think it's it's a way we have to kind of go forward, and everybody here is gonna have to work together to do it.

Somebody talked a lot about transparency, communication within various communities, within our um city at large.

I think every one of us have that obligation to be out there listening, feeling, hearing, and I commit to do that, and uh I appreciate the chance to explain my vote.

I wish it were two years, it's not gonna be a two-year referendum because it it'll be four years.

I always felt that if it was going to be four years, you'd get a lower number from me, you know, as a one member on this appointed board.

It was two years, you might I would be in a position to have a higher number, but it looks like the four-year number is kind of where we're gonna be, and and I understand operationally and otherwise why that makes a lot of sense to all the school types that are involved.

So thank you.

Thank you for those comments.

Other comments on the motion, I'm gonna wait a few more seconds, and then I'm gonna say something if nobody else wants to say something.

So um we'll take a vote here in just a second, but before we do here, I support this number.

Um I want to reiterate what I said at the beginning.

I just am so grateful to all the people who've put so much time and effort into this.

Um I will say I feel more encouraged now than I did walking in this room because of the kind of conversation this board had and the kind of comments that we heard from the community.

I think there really is a strong desire to come together to support all schools.

There are these two very legitimate competing issues that are tough, and um I'm sure we didn't get the perfect number, but I think we've come down in a good spot.

I do want to just say in future referendum uh decisions that we will have to make, we will have had more time and be able to be clear on the plan.

Uh I want to reiterate some of the comments that others have made preschool to me is something that is an absolute imperative.

Um and so I hope that that's something that we can think about um in the future, and I think we need to pay our great educators more.

Um I think that's something that's really really important.

There are other there are other things that are important to do, but I just wanted to highlight the importance to me of teacher pay and increasing teacher pay and providing universal pre-K.

Uh and I will now uh ask for all those in favor of the motion.

Please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed.

It passes unanimously.

Thank you again for everybody.

Well, feels like we should take a moment to breathe here for a second.

Um but we we will move on to the next item.

Mr.

Chairman, I might uh make one point of I did not know there was going to be DJ on the plaza when we scheduled this meeting, so I'd like to apologize for anybody who's been council president Lewis may have scheduled that for us.

I'm not certain.

Great.

So we've gone from a very big decision, and this not that this next decision isn't important, but it seems less uh significant, and that is we are considering approval of an internal control policy.

That is very, very important, by the way.

I shouldn't underscore that.

I should underscore that.

And I will now turn it over to Mr.

Mays to share with us the details around that.

Yeah, getting back to kind of the nuts and bolts of uh political subdivision, municipal corporation, how to operate the state board of accounts uh regulates how we spend funds, how they uh how we approve payments, and through that the internal controls policy is established by the state board of accounts, and each political subdivision and a municipal corporation like IPAC needs to adopt those as part of its uh spending process and budgeting process now that we've appropriated funds.

Uh now we need to make sure we're regulating those and spending them in a way that's compliant with State Board of Accounts regulations, and so that's the purpose of this resolution as well as uh the attached policy.

Any questions for John?

Mr.

Mays.

Hearing none, I would accept a motion to approve the resolution.

I move the adoption of the of the resolution, Mr.

Chairman.

We have a motion.

We have a second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, no, nay.

The ayes have it.

And we will now turn it to our acting executive director to give us uh an report.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Just again, thank you to everyone.

Um it won't be a surprise to anyone that we were dealing with this till about uh 4 30.

Uh putting everything together.

So uh as sometimes difficult, um I have like uh Mr.

Chairman has stated um believe uh more strongly in the in the opportunities that the public education corporation presents because of the way we've been able to work together on that.

Um I will say is by way of my report, most of my time has been spent getting to where we landed this evening, uh, but we have had some other things going.

The performance accountability work group has had one meeting, and shortly after tonight, um, we'll schedule the second meeting of that group.

The chair has asked board member Eddie Ron Hell to lead that effort and to convene the next meeting uh as promptly as we possibly can, and then also to make sure we have a status update.

It's not a requirement of a very detailed organization or detailed document, but but a status update due on August 31st to the Indiana General Assembly about where we're going.

Um and we will be working as we have with other other work groups to include other members of the community, not just this board on those discussions.

So that work has been ongoing.

The other work that has been ongoing is the executive director work group.

Um we met last week to review the 36 applications that came in through the portal.

Um the committees reviewed those applications and narrowed the list for initial interviews.

Uh those interviews are being scheduled as we speak.

Uh and they will be there will be a uh first swipe at interviews, and from that list of first interviews, the executive director work group will uh will establish a uh finalist list and present that final list to the mayor of the city of Indianapolis for his uh interviews and uh and a final selection um to be presented back to this board.

And that's my report.

Great.

Mike is especially eager to get moving on the executive director, especially working group.

Yeah, moving on the executive director.

Roman, no more public comments.

Yes, we have one more section of public comments.

Oh, okay, great.

I'll turn it over to you to do the final section of public comments.

All right, um, each speaker again will have uh three minutes and we'll be called in order by responses uh how they'll receive the public comment sign-up form that close they have to do.

Um likewise, I'll call two names out of time for my best concentration correctly.

And when your name is called, please come forward and state your name.

The timer is on the screen, and go with yourself when I'm uh first.

Um, the other part of yes, Sasha Fletcher.

We can hear you in the microphone.

Okay, there it is.

I have that mic on.

Yeah.

Now I'll do it with the mic on.

Alright, three minutes uh for public comment today on public comment on action and information items.

I'll call two names uh at a time, and when you go up, uh please state your name for the record.

Um, first we'll start with Maria Cardinez, followed by Sasha Fletcher.

This Maria here.

Okay.

Sasha, hello.

Good evening, members of the ICPA board, and thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight.

I know that you guys have already approved the referendum, but I'm still gonna say what I was supposed to say a little while ago.

First, I want to thank each of you for the work you've done to engage the community through the listening sessions.

As a parent, I know those conversations take time, effort, and a willingness to hear perspectives that are not always easy.

Being willing to listen matters, and I appreciate the efforts to include families in the shaping decisions that affect our children.

I'm here tonight as an active parent who wants the best outcomes for every public school student in the community, not just students in one type of school, but students students attending IPS, charter schools, and innovations alike.

Families chose different educational paths for many reasons, but at the end of the day, all of these children are our children, and all of them deserve opportunities to succeed.

That is why I support the referendum.

Public tax dollars should support public students.

The focus should be on making sure resources are reaching students wherever they are learning within the public education system.

When we invest in students equitable equitably, we strengthen outcomes, not just for individual schools, but for our entire community.

I believe we have an opportunity to move beyond divisions and focus on what matters most safe environments, strong teachers, access to opportunities, and giving every child the support they need to thrive.

Thank you again for listening for continuing to engage families and for keeping students at the center of this work.

Thank you.

Next, I have is Ty Vaughn, followed by Joel Giles Bale.

Hi, um, I also have a speech um before the voting, so I'll read that part.

It's a little uncomfortable, but three minutes, okay.

Okay, you know what?

Take the mic out.

Take the mic out.

Take the mic.

Oh my god, that is a video.

I'm glad I could give everybody some joy laughter tonight.

Good evening, IPEC board members.

My name's Kai.

I'm one of the educators at IPS Innovational Schools.

And I want to thank you all for the work you've done in listening to families, educators, school leaders, and community members throughout this whole entire process.

Uh especially with the community listening sessions.

So thank you very much.

I'm here today to express my support for the board's referendum.

I know it's not a simple decision.

The board has had a lot to consider when it comes to the needs of IPS, charters, taxpayers, educators, and most importantly, our students.

I appreciate that this process has created space for both districts, charter and traditional, for their voices to be heard.

I believe that our public dollars should support all public school students.

That includes students in IPS, innovation, and charter schools, so that families in Indianapolis can experience the education system as one citywide ecosystem, even though schools are governed differently.

And because of Indianapolis's unique school landscape, we need funding decisions that reflect the reality of students and families and how they have been strained since the last referendum.

While I support the referendum, my curiosity and concern lies with the families who are under financial constraint since the last referendum.

How are they being protected?

How are they being supported?

Because this referendum shouldn't create more barriers with families stretching out another dollar.

I also want to recognize that this recommendation is more than just about funding.

It's about trust, equity, and shared responsibility.

Us, the community, needs to know that this the decisions being made are being made with transparency, care, and a commitment for our community and students.

Thank you.

Thank you to the board for listening, working so hard, weighing the decisions and needs of our community, and moving towards a recommendation that I'll support all students, teachers, and families.

Thank you so much.

Good evening, everyone.

I've heard from all over the conversation about the board.

And I say we should start working on overcoming the division and fight for a stronger education for all students.

We should work together to lower the dropout rate and increase the graduation rate.

We should work on ensuring every kid can make it to school and home safely.

So that teachers have all the resources they need and are able to nurture all students.

I know that funding changes a classroom a lot because of the proper support and resources I was provided.

I feel prepared to take the next step in my education.

But I've seen that it is not a shared feeling across every high school in Indianapolis.

I asked you to work to ensure that the referendum funds all sectors equally by listening to the parents, students, and the faculty so that those who be impacted the most are at the table with you.

Thank you for your time.

Next up, we have Trina Valin, followed by Virginia Ramos.

So my name's Trina Vallone, and I want to extend my gratitude to the board for the hard work that you've been doing.

Thank you for this opportunity.

I come as an educator who has lived through many shifts in policies, funding structures, and expectations over the years.

I'll speak of someone who works closely with families every day, families who care deeply about their children, but who are not always familiar with how to negotiate and how to understand what's going on in a district on a board or in a referendum.

As you move forward in this process, I want to encourage you with your intentionality and transparency as you communicate with the public.

When we ask communities to consider a tax increase, we are not simply presenting a financial decision.

We're asking for trust.

And we are impacting lives.

Trust is built when people clearly understand not only what is being asked, but why it is necessary and what will be done with it.

Families need more than just a general statement of need.

They deserve clarity about what the funding will approve and how it will be used, and that as we heard from our lovely patient colleague needs to be in various languages because we represent children from various language backgrounds.

In my dissertation research, I studied how Latinos, children and families from low SES experienced school and what were their perceptions were.

And something very unexpected came out of that, and that was that the NCLB policy that was in place resulted in the ostracization of the Latinx community because people were blaming the Latinx students in the community for their schools being restructured because they did not meet AYP.

And simply it's this.

When we write policy, it must be permeable, and it must be permeable enough to allow for difference.

Difference of children with special needs, difference of social economic status, and difference of language and culture.

So I encourage you to keep that in mind.gov.gov on what is poverty.

So family of two is 21,640 dollars.

Family of three is 27,320, a family of four, 33,000, up to a family of eight for 55,720.

81% of the students at my school are in free and reduced lunch, so they probably qualify for poverty.

And I want us to remember that that those are the people whom we are serving and whom you are serving.

And so again, I thank you so much for all the work that you've done.

I do support the referendum.

We do need we do need the money, but our public wants and deserves to know what is being done with it.

Thank you for your time.

Followed by Tiffany Beachman.

So I don't have a innovation de esta district.

The other K decidiours studios in una squella charter total.

Good evening, Ivy IP.

My name is Anna, and I'm a mom that has a daughter in innovation school in the district, and another one that decided to attend a fully online charter school.

I also have two daughters that graduated from IPS.

As parents, we have to look for the best to fit our children.

It might be traditional charter or innovation.

My daughter who decided she wanted to go fully online was due to bullying and high turnover rate of teachers.

She would have a hard time adapting to a new teacher after one left.

This reflected in her grades.

This is now her second year in a virtual charter school, and she is thriving.

As for my daughters, they took, they took a more traditional approach to schools.

I am here because my family is a product of all sectors of education here in the district.

And it is only fair for the referendum to benefit all types of schools.

Thank you.

Tiffany Leachman here.

Lakeisha Baker.

Angelique Johnson.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Lakeisha, and I am not just a mother.

I'm also in a higher education alumni.

I'm a taxpayer.

I'm a homeowner.

When I moved to Indianapolis, I didn't know much about the school systems.

And like many parents that I spoke with, the one thing they said is don't send your kids to an IPS school.

So that led me to figure out where would be the best place for my child or children to attend.

My son attended the innovation school, and it was one of the best decisions I've made.

It took me a half an hour to take him to school, a half an hour to pick him up.

That's roughly five hours a week.

And by the time the school was over, that's around 180 hours of my time I spent just driving him there.

At the time, I lived outside the area, so getting him there, you know, it took a while.

It took a dedication from me.

As a single mother, there was mornings when yes, I was tired.

There were days when it would be easier to send him down the street to a school that's closer to our home.

But when you find a school that works for your child and they enjoy it, don't want to miss a day of school, how could you say no?

The experience taught me something important.

Families don't care about labels.

We care about outcomes, outcomes of our children and how they succeed after school.

That's why I support the IPEC board's referendum recommendations.

If a public school is helping students succeed, it should have the resources it needs to keep doing that work.

I appreciate the collaborations and recommendations represented at the efforts of the board has made to listen to families throughout this process.

My son benefited from the public school's options that was right for him.

I was more, I want more families to have access to those opportunities as well.

Thank you everyone for listening.

Um I hope my story helps you with the decisions to help other families.

Thank you.

Angelique Johnson.

Jennifer Hernandez.

Is it too late for me to tell the go ahead?

Hello.

I wanted to tell you at the last meeting you came up to me before everybody talked and everything, and you introduced yourself and you said hello.

It calmed me down so much, and I just wanted to thank you for that.

It meant a lot to me.

Okay.

Hello everyone.

I want to start by thanking you for all that you do.

I'm speaking today as someone who has spent years working in a charter school, a place that I loved and cared about deeply.

Um, parents that were very supportive, and students that showed up every single day ready to learn.

I also saw challenges that came with limited resources.

Staff members who had to wear multiple hats.

And for example, teachers regularly had to buy school supplies, furniture, um, snacks in the afternoon for our students, plus there were opportunities that we wanted to send our kids on, but they weren't within the financial budget.

Those experiences stayed with me because students deserve every chance and now and then every chance then and now to succeed.

Whether a child attends a charter school or an IPS school, they deserve great teachers, strong support, and opportunities that help them thrive and grow.

I don't think anyone thinks that these decisions you make are easy.

But I appreciate the thoughtful work that goes into the process and the efforts that you use to bring together different voices to hear at the table for discussions.

For me, this isn't about a school type.

It's about making sure that all young people have the resources that they need to reach their potential.

I truly believe Indianapolis is the strongest.

This is why I support the ref the IPEX referendum recommendation, and I thank you for the opportunity to speak.

Good afternoon.

My name is Evelyn Aguilera.

I am grandma of two kids that go to an IPS school.

I live in Chile and come over for their summer to help take care of them and spend time with them.

This is the first year in an IPS school, and I have noticed their development, not just academically but socially.

I am very happy to see my grandkids developing in a diverse environment where they're thriving in both Spanish and English.

I think it has been excellent that my grandkids have the choice to be in an immersion program where they are learning in both languages.

I know this is only possible with enough school funding.

Thank you for listening.

Our last speaker is Laura Cummins.

Hello, my name is Laura Cummins and I am the proud assistant principal of Lulala School 107, where I also served as a sixth grade teacher before that.

If you had the privilege of seeing the speech of sweet night, she was one of my former students, and I was privileged enough to go there and watch her speak by her invitation.

I wanted to speak on behalf of, although I am proud to be an assistant principal, I was that person that was very skeptical because I have no children.

And so I want to speak to the people that maybe retired, their kids have gone to school and they don't want to pay more money.

I look at it as an investment.

I hope they went to school, and I will benefit from that.

There may be adults, future adults in these seats that will have attended schools.

So I had to reframe my thinking from, well, I don't have kids.

This doesn't benefit me.

I don't want to put money into that.

To re-look at it as actually, it does benefit everybody because they are the future adults.

They are the future people that are going to be in politics, in doctors' offices, in real estate agents, all of those things.

So I just look at I wanted to just bring it to the people's front of their minds that even an educator like myself had to reframe my thinking, because I do benefit, obviously, as an educator in the school system.

But I think all kids deserve the same resources that every other school in the entire state deserves.

And as an educator, I did um fundraise myself probably over $10,000 to make sure my students had those resources because I didn't want my classroom to look any differently from anybody else's.

And so I can I can honestly say that I was a changed person as a mindset of thinking through a referendum that I would 100% wholly vote for a yes for the referendum.

Thank you.

Terrific.

Thank you.

What a great comment to end on.

Um I just want to note for the record there are no approval of claims at this meeting.

And also note that our next meeting is July 22nd at 4 p.m.

at a location at the in this room.

All right.

So in this room.

The president of the council will say no.

Okay.

We'll f we'll figure out where.

The public access room, is that the public access room.

Four o'clock.

Four o'clock, July 22nd.

And I would now entertain a motion to adjourn the meeting.

Some of them people are eager to do that.

We have a motion to second.

Before we actually do that, I do want to also note we need your signatures on documents.

So all the IPEC board members see John before you leave.

We are now adjourned.

Thank you.

Thank you.