IPS Hid Plan To Close Schools

The Star's Andy Gammill provides a stunning new development in the IPS bond saga. School officials have already decided to close four schools identified in the proposed bond issue to receive money for renovations. Yet school officials had no intention of informing voters of the planned school closings until days before the election. Tens of thousands of voters have already cast early votes without this knowledge. Gammill writes:

Indianapolis Public Schools has a secret plan to close four schools listed on the Nov. 4 ballot as being up for renovations and doesn't plan to tell voters until days before the election, the district confirmed today.

The district has said it would then reduce the entire project amount correspondingly, but that means voters could be making decisions on how to vote based on a plan IPS no longer intends to completely follow. Right now the closings plan is only a recommendation of the superintendent and would not become the district's policy until voted on by the board.

According to Gammill's story, IPS officials plan to release the school closing plan after the close of business on Friday, October 31, which is only four days before the election. This development alone is reason enough to cast doubts in voters' minds to vote down this massive tax increase. And it is a tax increase. Don't let proponents lead you to believe you will be protected by Governor Daniels' property tax cap plan. This tax will be levied on top of the amount levied within the tax caps.