close
close

Association-anemone

Bite-sized brilliance in every update

    • See IPS school board election results
    asane

    See IPS school board election results

    Online Niel Posted on

    play

    The IPS school board will continue to be led by a majority of members backed by pro-charter organizations after voters approved three candidates backed by the groups while choosing a candidate critical of charter schools.

    Gayle Cosby beat Hasaan Rashid for the District 2 race with 54 percent of the vote, with 100 percent of precincts counted in Marion County, according to unofficial results from the Marion County Board of Elections. She will be the only board member on the seven-person board who has not accepted financial support from pro-charter groups while running for election.

    Deandra “Dee” Thompson defeated candidate Kenneth Allen and IPS candidate Carrie Harris with 56% of the vote to Harris’ 22% and Allen’s 21%.

    Ashley Thomas defeated Alan Schoff for the IPS District 1 seat with 66% of the vote to Alan Schoff’s 33% of the vote.

    Allissa Impink ran unopposed for the IPS District 4 seat.

    As of Tuesday evening, all precincts in Marion County had reported results. IndyStar has called the school board races based on unofficial results provided by the Marion County Board of Elections.

    Cosby will fill the same seat she held from 2011 – 2016. She was endorsed by the IPS teachers union, as was Impink for the District 4 seat. Cosby also received a $25,000 donation from the Teachers Association of Indiana State PAC.

    This year’s IPS race saw more competition and more heated rhetoric between the candidates than the race two years ago, when only one seat out of three was contested.

    This year eight the candidates were divided whether they support the continued growth of the district’s charter schools or take a more critical view.

    A slate of candidates — Thompson, Rashid, Impink and Thomas — received financial support from pro-charter organizations such as Stand for children and RISE Indy.

    Another slate — Allen, Harris, Cosby and Schoff — decided not to accept the support of pro-charter groups or more openly criticized the charter school’s role in the IPS district.

    Results of the 2024 presidential election Live Election Day updates as Hoosiers head to the polls to vote for president, governor

    What were the voters’ priorities for the IPS race?

    Whether or not the candidates were endorsed by pro-charter groups or supported the growth of charter schools in IPS was not top of mind for some Indianapolis voters.

    Voters like Tatyana Roundtree, 37, chose Rashid for IPS District 2 because she met him at an in-person event at her local library branch and liked that one of his priorities centered on improving literacy . Since Roundtree has a third-grader in an IPS school, she’s worried about how new third class retention law it will affect her child if she doesn’t pass the IREAD test this year.

    “I don’t think it’s fair because kids learn in different ways and that puts a lot of pressure on them,” Roundtree said. “And talking to (Rashid), I feel like they really listened to that.”

    First-time voter Luzmy Kader, 19, also voted for Rashid because she had received emails from him and liked the plan he had presented for IPS. Arsenal Tech High School’s graduating percentage said they don’t think IPS focuses enough on preparing students for a successful post-college life.

    “(Arsenal Tech) is just worried about getting you out,” Kaden said. “If you’ve graduated, then you’re a graduate.”

    Ashley Meagher, 43, said she voted for Cosby because he opposes charter schools.

    “I grew up in public schools, and if you take money out of them and deregulate them, you make education worse for everybody,” Meagher said.

    How did campaign finance contribute to the race?

    Candidates backed by pro-charter groups far outspent other slates of candidates by about $172,100, according to the candidates’ most recently filed campaign finance reports.

    The candidate who raised the most of all the candidates was Thompson in the general race, who raised about $96,993, according to pre-election filings. Of that, about $87,600 came from Stand for Children Indiana PAC and RISE Indy PAC.

    Allen raised only $5,512 and Harris only $2,487.

    In the close race in District 2, Rashid outspent Cosby by about $11,600. Rashid has raised a total of $43,109, with approximately $38,159 coming from Stand for Children PAC and RISE Indy PAC.

    Cosby raised $31,475, with about $25,000 coming from the State Teachers Association PAC, I-PACE.

    For the District 1 race, Thomas has raised about $60,445, with about $53,087 coming from Stand for Children PAC and RISE Indy PAC, as of Oct. 24 filings. latest campaign reports as of October 26.

    Below are the unofficial results from Tuesday night:

    IPS candidates in general

    Kenneth Allen: Allen is the only incumbent this year and has been on the board since 2021. He is the chief engagement officer of the Indiana Youth Services Association.

    Deandra “Dee” Thompson: Deandra Thompson is the founder and CEO A learning bee academy.

    Carrie Harris: Carrie Harris is a graduate of Crispus Attucks High School and volunteers with Wise knowledgea nonprofit organization that provides youth and community services in Indianapolis.

    More on the charter debate: IPS school board candidates are divided into charter schools. Here’s where each one is.

    IPS Sector 1 Candidates

    Ashley Thomas: Thomas is the CEO of ANT Foundation Consulting and was previously employed by Stand for Children Indiana.

    Alan Schoff: Schoff is a freelance creative director, arts advocate, and hosting entrepreneur Sideshow Indya pop-up art gallery space that hosts art exhibitions and arts engagement programs throughout Indianapolis.

    IPS District 2 Candidates

    Hassan Rashid: Rashid works for Sales of utility pipes and has three children who attend an Indianapolis public school.

    Gayle Cosby: Cosby was previously elected to the school board in 2011 and served until 2016. Cosby began her career as an IPS elementary school teacher and is the program chair and professor of education at the Ivy Tech Community College campus in Indianapolis.

    Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter (X): @CarolineB_Indy.

    Online Niel
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like