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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Longtime IPS board member dies

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Hazel Stewart, an education advocate and longtime Indianapolis Public Schools board member, died Oct. 28. She was 88.

Stewart served as the IPS commissioner for District 5 for 16 years, according to Recorder archives.

Stewartā€™s obituary did not list a cause of death. The funeral service is at 11 a.m. Nov. 6 at Grace Apostolic Church. She will be buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.

Stewart was an advocate for school choice and served as a voice for lower-income families within IPS. 

ā€œAll parents should have real choices,ā€ Stewart told the Recorder in 1994. ā€œA strong school board, committed to meaningful public school choice, can make a significant difference.ā€

Stewart served on the board until 1998, when she lost a close election by about 300 votes. The late Recorder columnist and radio host Amos Brown blamed Stewartā€™s defeat on biased media and a lack of support from Black leaders.

ā€œThe lack of visible, vocal support from Black politicians, ministers and leadership was the biggest reason Stewart lost,ā€ Brown wrote in a 1998 column. ā€œTheir silence hurt, along with the silence from organized labor, whose members Hazel Stewart championed for years!ā€

The Recorderā€™s coverage of the election didnā€™t quote Stewart but noted she said she would continue to be vocal in matters that involved IPS. Seven years later, there was a photo in the Recorder showing Stewart standing and speaking from the crowd at an education forum at Crispus Attucks Middle School.

Contact staff writer Breanna Cooper at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @BreannaNCooper. Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. She did so much for the children of Indianapolis. She was all about the kids. I was proud to work for her and with her. I am grateful to have been her friend.

  2. I taught one of Hazel’s grandchildren, and spoke with her many times. She genuinely wanted every child to have the advantages of a quality education. Her service made a positive difference in Indianapolis Public Schools and I am grateful for her work and for her life.

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