Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.
When students in Decatur Township head back to class this August, they’ll start and end their days at new times.
The changes, which come with benefits for students and staff such as more sleep for middle school students and time for teacher professional development, are also in part, due to financial pressures schools face.
Changing start and end times means going from six different schedules to three, allowing for fewer bus routes and more savings to the district. School leaders said they are still implementing changes, but expect “impactful savings” to the district’s roughly $6.7 million transportation budget for this calendar year.
Advertisement
New start and end times for Decatur Township schools
7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Blue Academy Elementary
Gold Academy Elementary
West Newton Elementary
8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Decatur Middle School
Decatur Central High School
Decatur Township School for Excellence
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Liberty Preschool/Lynwood Elementary
Stephen Decatur Elementary
Valley Mills Elementary
Decatur High Ability Academy
The priority is always how to best support students, said Scott Collins, superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township. Additional benefits to the time changes are for high schoolers to end their day earlier and to align schedules for grade levels.
Yet, Collins also acknowledged that the money aspect can’t be untangled from those decisions.
Decatur Township schools are not alone in responding to less property tax funding due to changes at the state level and wanting to show fiscal responsibility to voters ahead of a potential tax increase, known as a referendum, vote in November.
School leaders in Decatur anticipate $3 million less in property taxes this year due to property tax reform. And additional state changes also mean the district is considering putting a tax measure on the ballot a year earlier than planned.
“We’re trying to save dollars now so we don’t have to ask for as much money in the future,” Collins said. “We want to be good stewards.”
Advertisement
And a big part of that for Decatur is busing – a key service that more than 70% of students in the district use daily during the school year. Plus, more than 1,100 of the district’s roughly 6,500 students use the bus each week for after-school activities like athletics, band, and clubs, Collins said. He added that buses are crucial for Decatur schools due to limited access to public transportation and limited ability to have walk zones for students.
Currently, the district uses a portion of its referendum dollars to pay for transportation costs, including salary and benefits for bus drivers, monitors, and mechanics. Without referendum funds, Collins said the district would have to consider additional busing changes such as walk zones and cutting after-school buses.
The district is considering a tax measure rate of roughly 27 cents per $100 of assessed value that would replace the current rate of roughly 29 cents starting in January if approved by voters.
In order to be on the ballot in November, the school board must approve and send the ballot question to the state Department of Local Government Finance no later than July 22.
MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org
Advertisement
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — After retiring from the NFL in early March, former longtime Colts center Ryan Kelly is stepping into the next chapter of his life.
Drafted by the Colts in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Kelly spent nine seasons with the Horseshoe. Now 32, he shared a life update during the AC Golf Classic just a few months into retirement.
“My golf game is getting better,” Kelly said. “I’m chasing three kids around. Trying to figure out what’s next for me. But right now, we’re just having a lot of fun. Still keeping in touch with a lot of the guys, and they’re getting ready for the season, so it’s kind of an adjustment not being a part of that anymore.”
Kelly reflected on what he misses most about playing in the NFL.
Advertisement
“I kind of look back on 10 years and really appreciate what I was able to do and the people I was around,” Kelly said. “That’s ultimately what you miss the most is the guys and the people in the building. Little reunion tour maybe this year, come back to the Colts games, bring the kids.”
For most of Kelly’s life, he’s spent his days waiting for gameday. With more free time now, he says it’s been an adjustment not preparing his body for a long NFL season.
“It’s a little weird, you feel like you should be training,” Kelly said. “I try to do a little workout, not as much as I used to, to try to keep up with that. The mental side, it’s a challenge. I think that’s why golf’s been great for me. It’s like the unattainable achievement that you’re always trying to get to. I keep tabs with the guys, and I think what’s great is that’s what you miss the most. The kind of personalities you miss. Being in touch with those guys has been great.”
Though Kelly is no longer on the roster, he remains close with several Colts, including star guard Quenton Nelson and offensive line coach Tony Sparano.
As the Colts prepare for training camp in late July, Kelly praised Sparano’s coaching and Nelson’s leadership on the offensive line.
Advertisement
“They’re set up really well with Tony,” Kelly said. “Tony Sparano, I think is one of the finest line coaches in the league. Learned so much from his dad and really brought us back together in ‘23 to bring that unit back together. A lot of great players, talented players, but made us believe who we were, how we could be good together.”
“And Q, he’s out here today going into year nine,” Kelly said. “I remember when he was a rookie. It’s just amazing to see how fast it goes. But his steadfast leadership has been so good. I know they have great talent. Those guys really believe they can be great. I think that’s awesome. They play together, and you can watch their film. They have a great quarterback, great offense. Looking forward to watching them this year.”
The Colts’ offensive line that Kelly praised was among the NFL’s best last season. Indianapolis finished second in rushing touchdowns (27) and tied for 10th in yards per carry (4.5).
According to Pro Football Focus, the unit ranked second overall in the league. The line also powered Jonathan Taylor to 1,585 rushing yards, the third-highest total by a running back last season.
Kelly also joked that his kids might one day follow in his footsteps as NFL offensive linemen.
Advertisement
“Some future offensive lineman, NFL offensive lineman right there,” Kelly said. “I see some of their feet, and I’m like, oh my God, these kids are going to be enormous. One already said they wanted to play for Alabama. We’ll see how it goes, we’ve got a couple more years.”
Kelly was a four-time Pro Bowler with the Colts during his nine seasons in Indy.
INDIANAPOLIS — A man is dead after being struck by a vehicle on the city’s east side early Monday morning, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
IMPD officers responded to a report of a personal injury crash around 6 a.m. on North Shadeland Avenue, near 38th Street and Pendleton Pike. That’s where another crash happened after the first.
Investigators say a man was standing outside of his vehicle. He was struck and critically injured.
Medics took him to a hospital, where he later died. Police confirmed that two other drivers stayed at the scene and are cooperating with the investigation.
Our photographer, known by many as Pink Bike Mike, shares how he ended up cruising around town on a pink chopper, camera bag strapped to his back.
When I was in second grade, my friend’s mom gave me the nickname “Michael Michael Motorcycle.” She thought she was teaching us how to balance a checkbook, not realizing she was manifesting my destiny instead.
But it wasn’t until eight years ago that my friend Scooter taught me how to ride on his 2002 Honda Shadow Spirit 750cc. We both dropped the bike that summer, putting matching dents on either side of the gas tank. A year later, I bought the Shadow and fully entered a new chapter of my life.
Three years ago, I became a “chopper guy,” earning a reputation for my hot pink 2004 Harley Davidson Sportster Custom chopper. Oil leaks, loose screws, the backbreaking feeling of hitting every small bump in the road, and old men constantly asking, “But why’s it pink?” became a personality statement.
Advertisement
Film photography and motorcycles go better together than prom king and queen. They hark back to a time when you tinkered with the equations and used your hands to determine the results. Plain and simple, they are a vintage lifestyle.
The biggest story in these photographs is the strength of the riding community. Sure, we rag on each other—sport bikes versus cruisers, vintage versus brand-new, carbureted versus fuel injection, Harley Davidson versus … everyone else—but at the end of the day, we are all just little kids cruising the neighborhood showing off our bikes.MMCI members Jack Fowler, Wil Baldwin, and Baldwin’s husband Dickie Smith relax outside of English Ivy’s. Smith grew up on a farm in Georgia and has ridden all his life, but Baldwin was afraid to join at first. Their kids and grandkids “think it’s pretty cool.” Photo by Michael Schrader317 Ryders member Richard Hammond, aka Rich Dollaz, shows off his patches, which help identify riders and their accomplishments, affiliations with organizations and businesses, and contributions to their club. Photo by Michael Schrader
Bike Night
Originally founded in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 2002, high-performance motorcycle parts manufacturer Horsepower Inc. has called Gasoline Alley in Indy home since 2012. Every year around the Indianapolis 500, HPi hosts a bike night with hundreds of attendees from around the world. What started out in 2018 as a small gathering among friends and customers, with some Sam’s Club hot dogs on the grill and a few bottles of beer or Londo’s Flameade, has turned into a much-anticipated yearly event featuring vendors, food trucks, DJs, and stunt crews including Jeff (C-Bear), CJ and the Concrete Cowboys, Junkyard Kenny, and the EastCoastin’ Crew.Photo by Michael SchraderMarco Velazquez, aka Vato, and $hady G, business manager, talk outside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 317 Ryders is heavily focused on philanthropy and runs its own nonprofit foundation. Photo by Michael SchraderNikki Wilson, aka HotShot, the 317 Ryders’ public relations officer, has been a member for 16 years. She never thought she’d ride a motorcycle but says riding is her way to “leave it all in the wind.” Photo by Michael SchraderCurrent MMCI president Mark Saalmuller (front), partner Jack Fowler (back), and their stylish yellow rubber duck ride a higher-end Honda Gold Wing, “the ultimate touring bike.” MMCI doesn’t strongly restrict the type of bike its members ride, prioritizing camaraderie and inclusivity. Photo by Michael SchraderDuring Covid, Courtney Rice intended to buy a camper but bought a motorcycle instead. He fell in love with the color of his neon-green Can-Am Spyder. It’s extra safe when he takes it on the famous Tail of the Dragon—318 switchback turns on 11 miles of mountain road on the Tennessee/North Carolina border. Photo by Michael SchraderJohn Eichhorn, Jeff Parrish, and Tim Arndt shoot the breeze at a Ton Up meetup at Kismetic Beer Company. Ton Up is known for its members’ love of vintage bikes. Photo by Michael SchraderJason Lamar bought his 1985 BMW K100 C, the first fuel-injected bike made by BMW, in the classifieds 22 years ago. One of the fastest stock bikes in the U.S. in the mid-’80s, it soon became a banned bike when the government ordered the model to be detuned. Photo by Michael Schrader
