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IPS parents turned away from community meeting after building fills to capacity

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Questions remain for parents of Indianapolis Public School students as the district considers closing three high school buildings.

Those closures are estimated to save the district about $4 million per year, but many have concerns about the plan and how it’s being communicated to parents.

The third community meeting on this issue was held Thursday evening at Zion Hope Baptist Church. An IPS spokesperson said this was the largest turnout so far, and the meeting space hit capacity at 170 people.

Once the meeting space hit capacity, the doors to the church were closed and locked. People who didn’t make it in were advised to attend future meetings on the topic. Online registration was recommended because of limited seating.

This was the third of five scheduled community meetings in relation to high school closures. District leaders have not yet said which buildings will close, and they are asking for community input. Some people at Thursday’s meeting were frustrated they didn’t have a chance to share their opinion.

“It’s like you have a meeting, but you can’t even come into the meeting because it’s at capacity. So what’s the meeting for? Anybody should be able to attend,” said Sara Sanders, an IPS parent.

The next meeting is scheduled for May 15 at the Hawthorne Community Center. A fifth and final meeting will be held on May 18 at Garfield Park Burrello Family Center. Both are scheduled to run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. You can register to attend those meetings here.

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