Science labs and revived athletics: See the upgrades one IPS school hopes voters support

The planetarium at Arlington Center College has been left unused for years, amassing mud as a cupboard space stuffed with chairs, keyboards, and bins. 

But when voters say sure to a $410 million poll query in Might, the deserted gem — which was the primary highschool planetarium in Indiana when it was devoted in 1965 — will probably be restored.

Indianapolis Public Faculties’ proposed tax improve would pay for constructing enhancements at Arlington and 22 different faculties because the district rolls out its Rebuilding Stronger reorganization. 

The plan additionally goals to create a extra effectively run district with higher tutorial choices, shut six faculties, and provide specialised tutorial programming at others. 

It additionally breaks up the district’s Okay-8 faculties, creating distinct elementary and center faculties, in order that college students can obtain higher tutorial and extracurricular choices — from band and world languages to softball and baseball. 

Arlington Center College will obtain $66 million if the poll measure is profitable, making it the only largest beneficiary among the many 23 faculties. Arlington would rework right into a STEM college in 2024-25 and combine the planetarium into the curriculum. The varsity would additionally add sixth grade to its present seventh and eighth grades. 

It might additionally add an 81,000-square-foot, two-story addition, create a brand new media heart and household useful resource heart, and set up science labs and a makerspace. 

“The subsequent chapter of Arlington is thrilling as a result of we get to put in writing a brand new narrative,” stated Principal Iesha Billups. 

The poll measure’s income would additionally revive the varsity’s athletic fields, which have been essential when the varsity served grades 7-12 however which college students don’t use a lot now. 

The upgrades will rework these fields into high-quality, competition-ready fields. 

“When it’s finished, children will have the ability to observe six sports activities concurrently throughout this area,” stated IPS Chief Operations Officer Invoice Murphy on Thursday morning, as he stood behind the varsity and seemed over the fields. 

A key purpose of the tax improve is to deliver all elementary and center faculties into  good situation inside the subsequent eight years, in order that these buildings solely require  routine upkeep as an alternative of huge investments involving HVAC or roof repairs. 

Officers say that greater than 30% of the district’s are in “poor” situation, that means the associated fee to renovate the constructing is between 30% and 40% of the associated fee to switch all the constructing. A 2020 evaluation commissioned by IPS reported that Arlington was in “good” situation, that means that the price of upgrades the varsity wants is barely between 10% and 20% of the associated fee to switch all the constructing

However Arlington, inbuilt 1961, would nonetheless get upgrades to its roof, inside lighting, fireplace alarms, and cameras and safety, Murphy stated. 

“If you consider the coed expertise on daily basis, exhibiting up at a college that’s too sizzling or too chilly, that doesn’t have water that runs clear, clear, and shortly, is an actual downer,” he stated. “And these are the types of preconditions that set college students up for fulfillment.”

Enhancements at different faculties embody upgrades to allow Thomas Carr Howe Center College to enroll college students as soon as once more, and a brand new constructing on the web site of Joyce Kilmer College 69. 

Early voting is at the moment out there on the Indianapolis Metropolis-County Constructing, with further websites opening on April 22. 

Election day is Might 2. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to six p.m., and Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting facilities. 

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County faculties for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.