INDIANAPOLIS — On Thursday night, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) board candidates faced voters at the last candidate forum ahead of the Nov. 8 elections. The forum was organized by the education advocacy group RISE Indy and hosted at Global Prep Academy.
"I'm here to hear what these candidates have to offer because ultimately what happens in this school or any other school will have a ripple effect," IPS parent Darrell Roberson said.
Angelina Moore and Nicole Carey are both running unopposed. Hope Hampton and Kristen Phair are duking it out for votes in district three, which covers midtown. The forum was in English with live Spanish translations. Moderator Shcarlett Estrada is a bilingual IPS parent and graduate.
"Having someone to be up there who can speak Spanish can help give confidence to some of the people who were here today," Estrada said. "My mom didn't feel, she wouldn't go to these events because she didn't feel like she should be there and she should be involved. And having someone here who speaks Spanish, it's like, ok let's go."
The Hispanic population is the fastest growing in the city, and there are more Spanish-speaking families in the district than ever before.
According to the Indiana Department of Education, English is not the first language for 21% of IPS students. Candidates spoke about the importance of bringing more bilingual services and staff to support an increasingly diverse city.
"We're seeing a lot of cultural depth in our city that we haven't experienced in years, so it's not just Spanish-speaking individuals, we have lots of new languages that folks in Indianapolis may not have been exposed to before, and it's a good thing for our city and a good thing for our district," Hampton said.
"When I think about their families that usually are also English language learners, and potentially don't speak any English at all, there's a huge barrier to access to IPS," Phair said.
-
Kokomo Infill Program turns vacant lots into new single-family homes
The Kokomo Infill Program is a partnership between the City and the Kokomo Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit that works to revitalize low-income neighborhoods.
Arsenal Tech student designs Overdose Task Force Unit's first logo
On Monday, students at Arsenal Tech High School were part of an effort to spur change and save lives.
Federal funding cuts threaten affordable housing resources in central Indiana
Funding cuts to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs threaten affordable housing initiatives in Indiana impacting vulnerable communities.
Property tax rally calls on lawmakers to give immediate property tax relief
About 200 Hoosiers gathered at the statehouse to demand relief from high property taxes, sending a strong message to lawmakers: failure to address the issue could cost them their seats.
