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New Bill Threatens to Dissolve Public School Districts Across Indiana, Including Gary [1]
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Date: 2025-01-10 20:59:01+00:00
A controversial bill in the Indiana legislature could force the dissolution of public school districts across the state, including Gary and Indianapolis, raising alarms among educators, legislators, and Hoosiers. For Gary, the stakes are especially high — just six months after regaining local control of its schools following a seven-year state takeover, the district’s future hangs in the balance.
House Bill 1136, authored by Republican state Rep. Jake Teshka, would dissolve school districts where more than half of the students attend charter or private schools by fall 2024, converting remaining public schools into charter schools. Gary, where over 5,000 students attend charter and private schools compared to 4,383 in district-run schools, more students attend charter and private schools than the public school district. Critics argue the measure unfairly targets struggling districts like Gary, undermining local recovery efforts while prioritizing charter expansion over traditional public education.
The bill’s provisions are estimated to dissolve five school corporations statewide, including Indianapolis Public Schools, Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation in LaPorte County, Union School Corporation southeast of Muncie, and Cannelton City Schools near the Kentucky border in Perry County.
The bill states that if more than 50% of students residing in a school corporation are enrolled in schools not operated by the corporation as of the 2024 fall average daily membership count date, the corporation will meet the threshold for dissolution. Once dissolved, all public schools within the corporation will be transitioned to operate as charter schools.
“I stand against House Bill 36 because it’s an orchestrated takeover of this district.” Gary resident Robert Buggs
State Rep. Vernon Smith, a former educator and long-serving member of the Education Committee, condemned the bill.
“I think it’s one of the most toxic bills that I’ve come across. It’s an attack on traditional public education, and it’s a bill that ignores real facts,” Smith said.
Smith took particular issue with the bill’s intention to convert public schools into charter institutions, which he views as substandard in some cases.
“If we were really concerned about academic achievement in Gary, our traditional public school outscores the charter schools,” Smith said. “So why would you want to turn us into a charter school? We have a situation in charter schools where the faculty are not certified. Many times, there are people who just have a high school education that are trying to educate these children, and we’re not putting our brightest and our best in the classrooms.”
At Tuesday’s school board meeting, Gary Superintendent Yvonne Stokes addressed the bill.
“It has only been six months since the Gary Community School Corporation was released from a seven-year state takeover,” she said. “During this seven-year time period, there was an exodus of thousands of students from the district. Since local control was reinstated, we have been laser-focused on increasing enrollment and maintaining financial solvency, while enhancing curriculum and improving the overall educational experience for children.”
Gary Superintendent Yvonne Stokes said her leadership team will work with the community “and then take necessary actions on what’s best for children.” (Javonte Anderson/Capital B)
She also noted that the district had already seen a 200-student increase in enrollment since the start of the school year, and she pledged to rally the community against the bill.
“Our leadership team will work with staff, parents, families, scholars, and stakeholders to educate the school community about this proposed legislation and then take necessary actions on what’s best for children,” she said.
Community members were also vocal about their concerns at Tuesday’s meeting, rekindling the public energy that invigorated residents during the state-mandated takeover.
“We already have more charter schools than anybody,” said Gary resident Carolyn McCrady from the podium.
She was followed by fellow resident Robert Buggs, who believed the bill targeted Gary specifically.
“I stand against House Bill 36 because it’s an orchestrated takeover of this district,” Buggs said.
Other districts also stand to lose under the proposed law. State Sen. Andrea Hunley, whose district includes the greater downtown Indianapolis area, expressed concern about the bill’s potential impact on Indianapolis Public Schools.
“My children have been attending IPS schools for 11 years. And I am so concerned about the fact that in this place where the majority likes to say that they want choice for families, that they would be threatening to take away choice from a family like mine right here in the middle of our city.”
Hunley, a former IPS teacher and principal, said she and Indiana Black Legislative Caucus members had spoken directly with House Speaker Todd Huston to voice their opposition.
“I’ve expressed my concern to leadership on this side as well, and we’ve got to make sure that we stop this before it goes any further.
State Sen. Andrea Hunley said she and members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, seen during a panel discussion in Gary last year, have spoken directly with House Speaker Todd Huston to voice their opposition to the proposed legislation. (Javonte Anderson/Capital B)
She encouraged constituents to reach out to the bill’s authors, co-authors, and the chair of the Education Committee to express their concerns and the personal impact of the legislation.
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher also committed to organizing opposition to the bill, including mobilizing Northwest Indiana residents to speak out in the statehouse.
“We anticipate bussing some people down from Northwest Indiana to speak against it and why it’s not a bill that’s necessary in our area, or why we don’t need that bill at all,” Hatcher told Capital B Gary.
There is currently no date set for the bill’s hearing, but Hunley said it will take place sometime before the last week of February, which marks the break of the session. The education committee where the bill is assigned meets every Wednesday but could be called anytime at the pleasure of the committee chair.
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[1] Url:
https://gary.capitalbnews.org/indiana-schools-close-house-bill-1136/
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