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Don’t tear down IPS to give charter schools more money | Opinion

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Don’t tear down IPS to give charter schools more money | Opinion



We are fighting the wrong fight if we really want to improve educational outcomes in Indianapolis.

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Each time I run into a former student, I ask them an essential question: “Did we prepare you for the life you wanted?”

For three disillusioning years, the answer was consistent: “This school didn’t prepare me for anything.”

At the time, I worked in a state takeover charter school, and I saw how poor management led to intense teacher turnover, shameful academic underperformance and even misreporting of dropouts to improve the school’s letter grade.

Certainly, there are some successful charter schools in Indianapolis, but this was not one of them and anyone who claimed charter schools were a panacea for the city’s academic underperformance hadn’t spent a day in my school.

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I moved to Indianapolis Public Schools in 2018 because I wanted a more professional working environment. I wanted to join the union and to have my contract respected and upheld, and I was drawn to IPS’ International Baccalaureate program. I received an IB Diploma in 2011, and I wanted to provide that same rigorous, internationally minded curriculum to public school students in my community.

For the five years I worked in the IB program at Shortridge High School, when I asked students the same question, the answer changed to a resounding yes. Without fail, Shortridge graduates would come back to visit, telling us how college was a breeze. IB was hard, but yes, indeed, they were ready for what came next.

This was no small feat for a district-run school with a racially and socioeconomically diverse population, and where many of the students would go on to be first-generation college graduates. Its significance was not lost on me, after serving a similar population elsewhere and witnessing the dismal quality of education available to them.

It was this stark contrast that brought me back to teach in IPS this school year after teaching abroad. I have experienced the life-changing power of an education that is focused on critical thinking, literacy skills and global mindedness. As a teacher, I choose to work in IPS because I want to provide this rigorous, high-quality education to any family who chooses it.

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Senate Bill 518 endangers this choice. By requiring the sharing of property tax funds with charter schools, it would cost the district tens of millions of dollars and lead to the closure of at least 20 schools, the elimination of hundreds of jobs and a decrease in transportation and program offerings in the district.

I have seen the ways in which IPS serves Indianapolis’ general public, including students with severe disabilities, without transportation, experiencing food insecurity, and students who are incarcerated, hospitalized or unhoused. These students’ education would be in jeopardy, all while specialized programs like IB would experience cuts.

At the same time, charter schools will gain little to make up for this devastating loss. Today, charter schools receive a $1,400 grant to offset the difference in property tax revenue they don’t receive. SB 518 takes this away and gives it back to the state. Paired with the effects of significant property tax cuts included in Gov. Mike Braun’s budget, that means most charter schools will have similar funding as before, even as IPS experiences massive cuts to its staffing and services.

At the end of the day, we are fighting the wrong fight if what we really want is to improve educational outcomes in Indianapolis. Rather than fueling an ideological war over district versus charter schools, we should be working together to call on lawmakers to increase per-pupil and complexity funding and to divert funds away from vouchers and into public schools by increasing the charter school grant.

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We don’t have to tear down IPS for charter schools to be able to get more funding. We can be true partners in ensuring students and teachers have access to high-quality options wherever they live in our city.

As a teacher, I choose IPS, and I likely wouldn’t stay in the district if it meant working for a charter school again. If the Indiana General Assembly wants to retain teachers like me, it should oppose Senate Bill 518 and protect the financial viability of IPS.

Sarah TeKolste is an IB Spanish teacher at TC Howe Middle School in Indianapolis. She was the 2022 IPS Teacher of the Year and a finalist for Indiana Teacher of the Year; she is a Teach Plus Indiana alumna.



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Indianapolis, IN

Circle City Orchestra wraps up season with ‘Sound Bites’ fundraiser

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Circle City Orchestra wraps up season with ‘Sound Bites’ fundraiser


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Circle City Orchestra will close its 2025-26 season with a special “Sound Bites” concert on Sunday.

The concert begins at 4 p.m. at the Athenaeum’s Basile Theatre. Admission is free, with a suggested donation to support the nonprofit, all-volunteer orchestra and “keep the music going.”

Craig Mince, president of the Athenaeum, said the venue has been home to the orchestra for several years — a connection that runs deeper than most might expect. The Athenaeum once hosted a full-time orchestra of its own, and welcoming Circle City Orchestra back into the space has felt like a natural homecoming.

“We love having them,” Mince said. “It harkens back to an old Athenaeum orchestra that used to be in the building full-time. We’re happy to have music back in the building again.”

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Phil Kranyak, principal cellist with the orchestra, started playing cello in third grade but stepped away from the instrument for 17 years before joining Circle City Orchestra. He said the group’s welcoming culture made the return feel seamless.

“We are inclusive in every sense of the word,” Kranyak said. “Whether you’re picking up an instrument for the first time or coming back after a long pause, it is so easy to step into this orchestra.”

Andrew Wu, an oboist who joined about a year ago, had a similar experience. Wu played violin, saxophone, and oboe through graduate school before taking a roughly 10-year break. He said the orchestra gave him a meaningful way to reconnect with both music and community.

“Music is such an important part of people’s lives,” Wu said. “Being able to express yourself through music and connect with a greater audience — and within your own orchestra — is just wonderful.”

The orchestra says it is always looking for new musicians.

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Rehearsals are held every Wednesday at the Athenaeum, and new faces are always welcome. Mince said nearly every rehearsal brings at least one first-time attendee, and the orchestra embraces that.

Musicians do not need to commit to a full season – the orchestra asks only that members participate in rehearsals for the concert cycle they plan to perform in.

Concert Details

  • ❓: Circle City Orchestra “Sound Bites” End-of-Season Concert.
  • ⏰: 4 p.m. Sunday.
  • 📍: The Athenaeum’s Basile Theatre, 401 E. Michigan St.



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Indianapolis, IN

Top seeded West Chester cruises to 12-3 win over University of Indianapolis in the Division II championship

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Top seeded West Chester cruises to 12-3 win over University of Indianapolis in the Division II championship


CARY, N.C. — One big inning was all the West Chester baseball team needed to get off to a winning start at the Division II championship.

The Golden Rams put their first five batters on base in the first inning and all eventually came around to score in a 12-3 opening round victory against the University of Indianapolis at the USA Baseball National Training Complex on Friday.

Ace Julian Costa didn’t have his best stuff on the mound, but he battled through seven innings while his offense pounded out 14 hits to earn a date against UT Tyler on Sunday (6 p.m., ncaa.com) in the winner’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament.

» READ MORE: Kyle Lazer aims to finish what he started with West Chester baseball in Division II championship

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“Our guys all do our homework, so we knew what we were getting and were just looking to be aggressive early,” said catcher Caleb Strawhecker, who in addition to going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored at the plate, threw out two would-be UIndy base stealers. “Putting up a lot of runs on the board was the goal and luckily we were able to do that.”

The Rams (45-10) wasted little time establishing their dominance against the overmatched Greyhounds, who advanced to Cary, N.C. by winning the Midwest region.

Carter Rust hit a leadoff single in the first inning and scored on a double by Strawhecker, who then came around on a single by Austin Stalker. After Hunter Smith walked and a perfectly placed bunt single by Patrick Gozdan loaded the bases, Tanner Donati made it 3-0 with an RBI single before two more runs scored on a double-play grounder by Harry Middlebrooks and a single by No. 8 hitter Christian Michak.

“It was a good complete game effort,” West Chester coach Mike LaRosa said. “Jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first. Give Costa a five spot and I think everybody feels confident from there on that we’ve got an opportunity to take that game.”

As it turned out, the first inning outburst was enough for the Rams to win the game. But it wasn’t as easy even with their best arm on the mound.

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The senior left-hander Costa wasn’t as sharp as he was when he held Millersville without a hit into the seventh in last week’s NCAA Atlantic Super Regional. While he gave up 10 hits and walked two, he always seemed to make the right pitches at the right times to wiggle out of trouble.

» READ MORE: Rowan baseball drops opening game vs. Adrian in Division III championship, face elimination on Saturday

The only runs he allowed were a second inning homer to Brayton Bowen and an RBI single by Austin Bode in the fourth.

Not only did Costa leave the bases loaded twice on the way to his 13th win in 14 decisions this season, he started the game by picking off the first two UIndy runners to reach base in the top of the first. Strawhecker also helped him out by throwing out two more runners trying to steal second.

“It was a little [difficult] location-wise at the start of the game,” said Costa, who struck out seven. “Around the third inning was when I started extending my legs and worked on the mound, and everything came together.”

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West Chester added to its lead with a run in the fifth, then broke the game open late with two in the seventh and three more in the eighth on a three-run homer to left center by Rust. UIndy (39-23) got its final run in the ninth off the Rams’ bullpen.

“After the pickoffs happened [in the top of the first], we all just laughed to ourselves and said ‘We’re good now,’” Strawhecker said. “Then it was just getting back to business, getting outs and playing our game.”



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Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis police shoot homicide suspect following pursuit

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Indianapolis police shoot homicide suspect following pursuit


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  • The suspect was wanted in connection with the shooting death of a woman earlier in the evening.
  • The suspect was taken to the hospital in stable condition after being shot by officers.
  • Two firearms were recovered at the scene of the police-involved shooting.

This article will update. Get breaking news alerts on your phone → download the IndyStar app.

Indianapolis police shot a homicide suspect after a vehicle pursuit that ended west of downtown near Interstate 70.

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Just before 8:30 p.m. May 28, 2026 Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were dispatched to a shooting in the first block of North Rural Street. Arriving officers found Patricia Wieber, 65, with gunshot wounds. Wieber was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.

Witnesses were able to give police information about the shooter and officers tracked the suspect to the 7500 block of Bullock Court on the city’s south side. The suspect, identified by police as Ronald Cross, 75, got into a different vehicle with another man. While tracking that vehicle officers attempted a traffic stop near West Southport and Bluff roads. The driver, who is not implicated in the homicide, got out of the vehicle without incident and was taken into custody.

Police said Cross then slid into the vehicle’s driver seat and fled. Officers used stop sticks and then in the 1000 block of South Harding Street near I-70 a SWAT officer used a vehicle to perform a PIT maneuver to stop the SUV, said Kendale Adams, IMPD deputy chief of criminal investigations.

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After the vehicle was stopped officers shot the suspect, Adams said. Cross was taken to the hospital in stable condition. No officers were injured.

Adams said two firearms were located at the scene.

During a news conference at the scene, Indianapolis police chief Tanya Terry extended her thoughts to the family of Wieber who was killed in what police believe was a domestic violence situation. She also praised her officers’ handling of the situation.

“[Our officers] did exactly what our community expects them do to in situations like this,” Terry said. “Our officers worked with bravery, coordination and precision in their attempts to safely bring the suspect into custody. I’m extremely proud of them for the work that they’ve done.”

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The chief added that Cross would be facing charges in the case and police confirmed hours later that Cross was arrested on a murder charge.

The shooting involving police was among a string of shootings across the city, including one downtown roughly two hours before that left a man in critical condition.

“It’s been a difficult night for our city,” Terry said.

The officers involved in shooting Cross have been placed on administrative leave, per department policy. The Civilian Use of Force Review Board will have a hearing on the shooting and body and dash cameras were activated during the shooting, Adams said.

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It is unclear whether Cross fired at officers and what makes and models of firearms were found by police.

Asked those questions by IndyStar, an unnamed IMPD spokesperson did not provide additional information and instead referred to a press release that did not contain the answers. 

This is the fourth shooting involving Indianapolis police since the start of the year.

📩 Start your morning with the top Indy news delivered straight to your inbox with IndyStar’s Daily Briefing. Sign up for free at indystar.com/newsletters.

Get more information of shootings involving Indianapolis police here.

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After an IMPD officer-involved shooting, what comes next?

From investigations and reviews to public updates and department procedures, this is what happens after an IMPD officer-involved shooting.



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