Funding is Important for Our Schools

Funding is Important for Our Schools

We are students who attend charter schools in Indianapolis. We are sharing our voices because funding is important for our schools. This is our Open Letter to the IPS board of directors and superintendent of schools:

Charter schools are public schools. Please don’t punish us or our parents for choosing to send us to this type of public school. We love our schools and feel like they have been preparing us for college.  Our schools deserve the same amount of funding as the other types of public schools. However, the current referendum does not include us. We know you take this decision seriously because it will affect students now and students in the future. 

Young voices, especially young voices of color, don’t always have a say on big issues such as a referendum. This time though, we hope our words will matter. 

There are so many brave people in this world and in our history. We just celebrated MLK Day and Black History Month is coming up soon. Please be brave when you vote on the referendum. Your decision will affect students now and students in the future either way, we just hope it will be in a positive way. Don’t shut us out. Please delay the vote and create a new proposal that includes all of us. Equally share the referendum.

Thank you for your careful consideration.

Signed,

Jania Thomas, Believe Circle City High School student
Taranjit Singh, Believe Circle City High School student
Lauren M. Island, Paramount Englewood student
Alayah Island, Paramount Englewood student
Trenton Island, Paramount Cottage student
London Island, Paramount Cottage student
Zach Hooten, Purdue Polytechnic High School student
Cecily Cage, Purdue Polytechnic High School student
Whitney Wright, Purdue Polytechnic High School student
Javon Members, Rooted High School student
Nikala Wilson, Rooted High School student
LaDarrius Murrary, Rooted High School student
Ukari Lands, Rooted High School student
Kayla Davis, Rooted High School student
LaNyah Glover, Rooted High School student
Cortez Powell, Victory College Prep student
Passum Bolin, Victory College Prep student
Tyanauanna Golden, Victory College Prep student
Arleth Dobelgado, Victory College Prep student
Jaxen Studder, Victory College Prep student