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Friday, March 29, 2024

2 smelly deals: GOP slashing student funds, and soccer stadium boost

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Before I weigh in about this proposed soccer stadium, some words about the conduct of the Republican majority in Indiana’s House of Representatives.

In my Jan. 15 column, I respectfully offered a solution to Indiana’s school funding formula. I wrote that Republicans should raise the per pupil spending amount by $500 and invest an additional $500 million per year or $1 billion over the two-year biennial budget for public schools.

To my surprise, House Republicans did just that. In their budget proposal, they recommended that per pupil spending be increased from $4,583 to $5,135 by school year/fiscal year 2016-2017. This represents an increase of $552 per Hoosier student.

The Republicans recommended that the overall basic level of school funding in Indiana, called foundation funding, be increased from $4.642 billion to $5.460 billion. That’s an increase of $818 million.

I was encouraged to believe that finally, Hoosier Republicans would win bragging rights about their commitment to education.

But the devil is in the details. Read the fine print, and you’ll discover a scheme that eviscerates funding for public schools in Indiana’s urban areas, including Indianapolis, Gary and Anderson.

One of longstanding funding procedure for our schools, created by Republican Gov. Robert Orr’s Administration in the 1980’s is the “complexity formula.” That formula provides additional funds for school districts based on the percentage of students in households living below the federal poverty level, as well as homes a bit above the poverty level, often referred to as the working poor.

This complexity formula served us well for three decades, but instead of leaving well enough alone, the House Republican super-majority has crafted a funding formula that drastically limits the complexity guidelines.

Under the GOP plan, the “complexity formula” funding will be solely based on the percentage of a school district’s students living below the poverty level.

The revamped Republican formula, which ignores the working poor, slashes a stunning 26.6 percent or $306.3 million from school funding over the next two years.

While it harms most school districts, it will eviscerate districts with high percentages of minority students.

An analysis sent by the Indianapolis Public Schools to legislators, (but not shared with Indianapolis media) shows the Republican plan would cut funding from institutions which once were the GOP’s sacrosanct darlings —charter schools.

In Indy, the Republican budget ax is being sharpened for Andrew J. Brown Charter, Charles Tindley’s main charter school, Indiana Math and Science West and surprisingly, Christel House Academy.

Back in January, I wrote that indeed, I agreed that growing suburban districts should receive more in per pupil state funding. But the House Republican plan takes a meat ax approach to funding districts serving Indiana’s most vulnerable children, many of whom are Black and Brown.

So much for compassionate conservatism!

Now to the soccer stadium…

From the facilities built for the National Sports Festival 33 years ago, to Lucas Oil Stadium, I have faithfully and publicly supported every city effort to build tax supported sports facilities in Indy’s downtown.

However, I can’t support the scheme hatched by businessman Ersal Ozdemir to create a soccer stadium downtown.

When the effort was made to build facilities in 1982 for the National Sports Festival, the promise was made that the facilities would be used by IUPUI students and Indy residents. That promise has been fulfilled.

Indy built a domed stadium betting we’d eventually get an NFL team. We did.

Before the Colts’ successful runs, the Pacers had Indy’s heart. A replacement for the venerated Market Square Arena made sense.

The folks with the second tier professional soccer team Indy Eleven say their team’s first year “success” mandates investing in a new 18,000 person outdoor stadium downtown. They point to the worldwide popularity of soccer and the crowds that popularize youth tennis events here.

But in America, soccer isn’t yet on the same level of commercial success as pro football, basketball; even minor league baseball.

A stadium just for soccer in the 33rd largest metro area remains a highly speculative bet.

The stadium would be in play by the pro team just 15 dates a year. Organizers of the stadium claim they’d host several outdoor music concerts, they brag about college football games, even float dreams of a women’s soccer team.

But wishes and dreams don’t justify using tax dollars to guarantee the bonds for this particular soccer stadium.

Finally, it’s hard for me to support a project spearheaded by someone who’s flouted minority business protocols.

As documented by the city and state, several of Ozdemir’s businesses are classified as Asian and “other.”

However, under Federal government racial classifications Ozdemir’s Turkish heritage is considered white, or non-minority.

If he wants a stadium for his Indy Eleven, go to the bank, borrow the money and fund it the old fashioned Turkish or American way, with funds and private investors.

See ‘ya next week!

You can email Amos Brown at abrown@radio-one.com.

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