By admin 
This story was originally published from Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.
INDIANAPOLIS (LIMEBAT INDIANA) – Candidates backed by charter-friendly groups have outpaced their opponents in the most competitive and expensive IPS board elections since 2020.
The election for four seats – three of which are contested – could be possible significantly reform the composition of the board in an election cycle with candidates who may take a more critical look at charter schools. Political action committees associated with Stand for Children Indiana and Rise Indy, groups that support charter schools, have boosted funding for their endorsed candidates.
In recent years, groups like Stand have been pushing for this expand district partnerships with charter schools And share more property tax financing with them. The last board election in 2022, which saw only one contested race, created a board composed entirely of members who had received support from groups that promote charters and other policies related to education reform.
Campaign finance data filed this month, which tracks fundraising through mid-October, shows that Stand and Rise Indy-backed candidates outraised their opponents by as much as $89,505. Stand and Rise Indy PACs have collectively contributed more than $158,000 to their endorsed candidates in competitive races: at-large candidate Deandra Thompson, District 1 candidate Ashley Thomas and District 2 candidate Hasaan Rashid. That funding has taken the form of direct donations, as well as in-kind donations, such as mailers, digital advertising and canvassing.
Meanwhile, at-large candidates Kenneth Allen and Carrie Harris, District 1 candidate Alan Schoff and District 2 candidate Gayle Cosby could bring a contingent to the school board that is more vocal in opposing or criticizing the district’s partnership with charter schools. Cosby and Allen, who were previously elected with the help of such PAC funding, have since become more critical of charter schools.
Schoff and Cosby have received support from the local teachers union, the Indianapolis Education Association, which has historically backed candidates who have been more critical of charters.
Impink, who is unchallenged and backed by Stand, Rise Indy and the teachers union, has raised $20,588, mostly from individual donations. She received $4,185 from Stand’s PAC.
LaToya Tahirou, a parent on Stand’s endorsement committee, said she was looking for candidates who will listen to parents’ concerns, including better serving students of color, improving school safety and addressing language barriers.
“For me as a parent, the type of school doesn’t matter,” she said. “What I would like to see is a school that does well in closing the opportunity gap.”
Rise Indy also credits its community engagement efforts with helping increase voter turnout.
“If 70% of Marion County students cannot read at grade level, it would be unconscionable to sit on the sidelines during this election,” Rise Indy founder Jasmin Shaheed-Young said in a statement. “Adults may bicker about money and politics, but we fight for children.”
Both Rise Indy and Stand have strong charter support ties. Parents affiliated with Stand have regularly attended school board meetings to push for replication of charter schools that show high academic outcomes for students of color. Rise Indy’s board of directors is made up of charter advocates and leaders.
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Education Justice Coalition plans to fund an advertising blitz for endorsed candidates Harris, Schoff and Cosby, executive director Christina Smith said. She expects no more than $5,000 in expenses.
The group has been critical of the district’s reform efforts and out-of-state funding in school board elections. It is looking for more board members to question the charter expansion.
“There is a lot at stake for IPS right now,” says Smith.
Thompson is outpacing opponents in the most contentious major race
In the at-large race, Deandra Thompson significantly outraised incumbents Kenneth Allen and Carrie Harris with $91,993, according to campaign finance data showing fundraising from early April to mid-October. About $82,600 of that funding comes from Stand and Rise Indy PACs in the form of in-kind donations such as mailers and digital ads.
Allen, meanwhile, has raised $5,512 — a fraction of the roughly $266,000 he raised in his 2020 campaign, much of which came from charter-supporting PACs. Allen has marketed himself as an independent in his re-election bid.
Allen said inside Chalkbeat’s Voter Guide that he refuses money from Rise Indy, Stand or any entity that believes school board seats are “for sale.” He did not respond to requests for comment.
Stand Executive Director Justin Ohlemiller said in an email that Allen participated in the approval process for Stand but ended his interest after parents on the approval committee chose to support Thompson.
Harris raised $2,487, including $800 from the Indianapolis Education Justice Coalition. Harris declined to comment.
Thomas outraises Schoff in District 1
Ashley Thomas raised $49,705, including $35,547 from Stand’s PAC and $1,800 from Rise Indy’s PAC. Her opponent, Alan Schoff, has raised $618.
Thomas, who previously worked for Rise and Stand, said she supports good schools rather than favoring one type of school over another.
“When we talk about great schools, we can’t create an us versus them system within one system where we’re fighting each other,” she said. “Because I don’t think children benefit from that.”
Schoff, an outspoken critic of charters, said he still believes he has a chance to win without significant investment.
District 2 candidates increase five figures
In District 2, newcomer Hasaan Rashid raised about $43,110, including $33,912 from Stand’s PAC and $4,247 from Rise Indy’s PAC.
Rashid’s opponent, former board member Gayle Cosby, raised $31,475 — including $25,000 from the PAC for the Indiana State Teachers Association.
Rashid said he is happy with Stand’s support and appreciates the support of all his backers.
“I am proud to represent the parents of IPS, and that is who Stand is,” he said. “These are just grassroots people who want to see better education for their children.”
Cosby, meanwhile, is optimistic about her chances of winning. She received funding from Stand when she was active earlier in 2012, but withdrew from the group when she distanced herself more critical of the district’s partnership with charter schools.
“I feel like the community that I’ve been able to reach, especially those involved in the forums and things like that, is distinctive enough to realize that I’m an educator, that I have a doctorate. in education,” she says. “I think that shows, and it’s a clear asset to the service on board.”
The elections are on November 5. Early voting at the City-County Building is available until November 4, with additional early voting sites open from October 26 to November 3.
Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at [email protected]