The rapid proliferation of formerly public school students attending religious and private schools under Indiana’s voucher program has resulted in a sharp decline in the number of African-American students attending public schools in Indianapolis/Marion County. And led to a drop in Black students attending charter schools.
My annual survey of school enrollment by race/ethnicity reveals that African-American enrollment in the city/county’s public and charter schools declined 1.6%; or 874 to 53,450 in the new 2012-2013 school year.
Overall public school enrollment in the city-county fell 2.3% to 142,480. White enrollment fell 3.1% to 54,600; while Hispanic enrollment rose 6.0% to 20,292.
Blacks account for 37.5% of the city/county’s public school students; whites 38.3%; Hispanics 14.2%.
Before Thanksgiving, the state announced that 9,324 students utilized the voucher program this year; an increase of 137.9% from last year’s 3,919. The largest voucher system in the country, Indiana’s the first to measure vouchers’ large scale impact on a major city’s public school enrollment.
Even though overall voucher growth more than doubled, African-American voucher growth was smaller at 100%; rising from 957 to 1,922
Department of Education officials haven’t yet provided detailed racial/ethnic data for Marion County, but I estimate of the 1,922 Blacks in the voucher program, between 750 to 900 live in Indianapolis/Marion County.
In the overall picture of Black student enrollment in the city/county, Indianapolis Public Schools suffered the largest drop losing 1,247 Black students, down 7.3% to 15,855; lowest level ever.
Most of that drop was because four IPS schools moved to “takeover status”. Total Black enrollment at Arlington, Howe and Manual High Schools and Emma Donnan Middle School totaled 945. But some of those Black students at the new takeover schools came from township school districts and charters.
Wayne Township schools suffered the next largest Black student enrollment decline, falling 223. Wayne officials attribute some of that loss to increased vacancies in township apartment complexes.
The next highest Black enrollment declines were at charters schools, with Imagine East’s falling by 131 and Charles Tindley by 115. Imagine’s decline could be a reaction to the school’s continued academic failings, while Tindley’s could be attributed to the opening of their new all male Tindley Prep charter.
The largest Black enrollment gains occurred in Lawrence Township (179) followed by Warren Township (121), Indianapolis Math & Science North charter (103), Fall Creek Academy charter (90), Franklin Township (81) and Pike (74).
The larger than normal declines at Tindley and Imagine East, coupled with the closing of Stonegate and Indianapolis Project schools helped contribute to an overall 10% drop in Black enrollment at the city/county’s twenty-four charter schools. Including a surprising 1.6% Black decline in schools chartered by the Indianapolis Mayor’s office.
The school districts with the largest Black enrollments are: IPS (15,855), Pike (6,481), Warren (5,609), Lawrence (6,063), Washington (4,428), Wayne (4,836).
The charters or takeovers with the largest Black enrollments are: Andrew Brown (530), Excel Center (489), Monument Lighthouse (483), Arlington (475), Imagine East (468), Imagine West (434), Indianapolis Math and Science North (422) and Fall Creek Academy (409).
Of Indy’s Black public school students, 56.3% attend township schools, 29.7% attend IPS, 12.3% charters and 1.8% takeovers.
What I’m Hearing in the Streets
Another example of Indy’s “fraidy cat” Mayor occurred last week.
Despite open, ongoing invitations, Mayor Greg Ballard has repeatedly ducked being interviewed by the Recorder and appearing on Indy’s primetime Black radio news-oriented talkshow.
Ballard last appeared on Afternoons with Amos October 21, 2011 for Indy’s only radio Mayoral Debate and last answered Black media’s questions on our program January 27, 2011.
So, it surprised many when the Mayor bogarted his way on our program last Monday while I was on vacation.
Mayor Ballard’s disrespect of Indy media by appearing on a major media program, with no notice, during the absence of the show’s main host was unprecedented. It was like refusing to appear on Channels 6, 8, 13 or 59’s newscasts unless their primary anchors were vacationing. Or like appearing on Tavis Smiley’s show, but only if Herman Cain hosts.
Worse, guest host (and occasional Recorder columnist) Abdul Hakim-Shabazz violated media ethics and common courtesy by not informing WTLC management of the stunt: along with other media improprieties.
During Mayor Ballard’s reign, neither he nor his aides have ever expressed directly to me their concerns about what I’ve written or said.
In nineteen years in this space and twenty years hosting talk programs on radio and TV, mayors, governors, legislators, businesspeople, community leaders, even US Senators (and their aides and minions) have directly brought their concerns about my words and work directly to me.
When expressed, their criticisms and concerns have always been taken seriously. And if, since I’m human, I made mistakes, they were promptly corrected or clarified.
Mayor Ballard (and his aides) have been the only ones to hold whatever real or imagined concerns they have to themselves.
The Mayor’s aversion to be being interviewed by Black media and by extension our Black community, raises disturbing questions about whether the Mayor of America’s 11th largest city respects the institutions and individuals of America’s 13th largest African-American community.
As Republicans nationally debate how to reach out to America’s growing minority communities, Greg Ballard’s jihad against Indianapolis Black media institutions and Indianapolis Black leadership is turning Ballard into a clone of Mourdock/Romney insensitivity.
As always, I had unanimous cooperation from Indy’s school districts, charter schools and the new takeover schools in compiling the information on Black enrollment for the current school year.
Except for Hoosier Academy, a virtual charter school that opened in 2009, that flatly refused to cooperate. Hoosier Academy officials tried to blow off my e-mail of October 30th requesting the information by saying their “Director of Academics” would respond.
Two weeks later after no response, I called the school and repeatedly got voicemail. Eventually talked to an out of state call center. I relayed my request and asked to speak with someone in Indianapolis. To date, no response.
As a public school, Hoosier Academy has a legal obligation to provide public information to the public, including media. Hoosier Academy is in violation of the Indiana’s Public Records Law.
More soon.
See ‘ya next week!
