Like other suburban school districts throughout the Indianapolis area, the Metropolitan School District of Perry Township is undergoing a major period transformation.
Over the last decade the district has become more racially diverse and prosperous and has experienced growth in its overall population.
In the midst of these changes township residents are bracing for what some observers say is the district’s most contentious school board race. At least ten candidates are competing to fill three open seats available this year on the seven-member school board for the May 6th election.
“This year is super important when it comes to who gets on the school board,” said Donna Roth, community project organizer for the Perry Township Council PTA. “We have many important issues on the table as they relate to the direction of our district and expenditures of our resources.”
Due to the significance of this year’s race the Perry Township Council PTA will host a public forum for all candidates on Tuesday, April 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the auditorium of Southport High School, 971 E. Banta Road.
Attendees will be able to hear the goals of candidates and possibly ask questions.
“As a community we need to get to know these candidates and ask the tough questions,” Roth said. “If we get to know the candidates and their vision we can make a more informed decision.”
Centrally located on the South side of Indianapolis, the district of Perry Township includes 2 high schools, four middle schools and eleven elementary schools that serve over 14,300 students.
According to the district’s statistics, minority enrollment has grown over the last decade. Minority enrollment is at 25 percent for the 2007-08 school year, compared to just 13 percent during the 1990-91 school year. Perry Township’s minority enrollment is slightly higher than the state average of 24 percent.
Rubie Alexander, the board’s only Black member, has encouraged residents who live outside to take an active interest in its development, especially since some minority students are still being bused from other areas of Marion County to schools in Perry Township or have moved into the township.
Due to busing or families moving, minorities are arriving from neighborhoods in Pike Township, Warren Township, Washington Township and the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) district.
Alexander, who is up for re-election but unopposed for her seat, represents Perry Township’s desegregation district located inside the boundaries of IPS.
Perry Township administrators have been praised for helping minority students make a smooth transition to the district with school activities that celebrate diversity and community partnerships (including an annual Back to School event presented in conjunction with IPS School 110).
In addition, the district has teamed up with predominantly Black churches for study and tutorial programs. The district, for example, has teamed up with Oasis of Hope Baptist Church in the city’s Martindale-Brightwood area to offer study circles for Black students at the church as well as Southport High School and Southport 6th Grade Academy.
Although praised for its efforts to welcome diversity, the Perry Township School district has faced conflicts among its administrators and board members over the last few years.
Most of the disputes were related to how to deal with former Superintendent Douglas Williams. Some administrators and parents believed he fostered progress and growth in the district, while others viewed him as a divisive and ineffective superintendent.
Williams resigned last year following a $470,000 settlement with the board.
Some of Williams’ supporters remain active in school board politics and have created a slate of candidates running on the informal “Take Back Our Schools” platform.
However, Barbara Thompson, president of the board, is hopeful that the township will be able to move past its differences with a new superintendent Thomas Little, who took office earlier this month.
“Our board members were united in their conclusion that he met the qualifications established by our board and by our community,” she said. “We have an outstanding school district and the board looks forward to working with Dr. Little to create a brighter future.”
