PAC money surges in heated race for IPS school board seats

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Candidates endorsed by charter-friendly groups have outraised their opponents in the most competitive and expensive IPS board election since 2020.

The election for four seats — three of which are contested — could significantly reshape the board’s makeup in an election cycle featuring candidates who may turn a more critical eye to charter schools. Political action committees associated with Stand for Children Indiana and Rise Indy, groups supportive of charter schools, have bolstered funding for their endorsed candidates.

In recent years, groups such as Stand have pushed to expand district partnerships with charter schools and share more property tax funding with them. The last board election in 2022, which featured only one contested race, created a board made entirely of members who had received support from groups promoting charters and other policies associated with education reform.

Campaign finance records filed this month, which track fundraising through mid-October, show that candidates endorsed by Stand and Rise Indy have outraised their opponents by as much as $89,505. Stand and Rise Indy PACs have contributed over $158,000 combined 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 ads, and canvassing.

MORE: IPS School Board voter guide

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 critiquing the district’s partnership with charter schools. Cosby and Allen, who were previously elected with the help of such PAC funding, have since been more discerning of charter schools.

Schoff and Cosby carry endorsements from the local teachers union, the Indianapolis Education Association, which has historically supported candidates more critical of charters.

Impink, who is uncontested and is endorsed by Stand, Rise Indy, and the teachers union, 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 to support candidates who will listen to parents’ desires, which include better serving students of color, improving school safety, and addressing language barriers.

“School type doesn’t matter to me as a parent,” she said. “What I would like to see is a school that performs well in closing the opportunity gap.”

Rise Indy also credits its civic engagement efforts for helping to increase turnout in down-ballot voting.

“When 70% of Marion County students can’t read at grade-level, for us to sit on the sidelines during this election would feel unconscionable,” Rise Indy founder Jasmin Shaheed-Young said in a statement. “Adults might be bickering about money and politics, but we are fighting for kids.”

Both Rise Indy and Stand have strong charter-supporting ties. Parents affiliated with Stand have frequently 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 features charter advocates and leaders.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Education Justice Coalition plans to fund an advertisement blitz for its endorsed candidates Harris, Schoff, and Cosby, said executive director Christina Smith. She does not expect more than $5,000 in spending.

The group has been critical of the district’s charter reform efforts and out-of-state funding in school board elections. It seeks more board members who will question charter expansion.

“There’s a lot on the line right now for IPS,” Smith said.

Thompson outspends opponents in most contested at-large race

In the at-large race, Deandra Thompson has significantly outraised incumbent Kenneth Allen and Carrie Harris with $91,993, according to campaign finance records that show fundraising from early April to mid-October. Roughly $82,600 of that funding has come 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 independent in his reelection bid.

Allen said in the Chalkbeat / WFYI voter guide that he is refusing any funds from Rise Indy, Stand, or any entity that believes school board seats are “up for sale.” He did not respond to requests for comment.

Stand’s executive director, Justin Ohlemiller, said in an email that Allen participated in the endorsement process for Stand, but ended his interest after parents on the endorsement 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, with $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 is supportive of great schools rather than championing one school type above another.

“If we talk about great schools, then we can’t create an us-against-them system inside of one system where we’re fighting each other,” she said. “Because I don’t think kids benefit from that.”

Schoff, a vocal critic of charters, said he still believes he has the chance to win without significant investment.

District 2 candidates raise five figures

In District 2, newcomer Hasaan Rashid raised roughly $43,110, with $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 — with $25,000 from the PAC for the Indiana State Teachers Association.

Rashid said he is happy to be endorsed by Stand and appreciates the support of all his donors.

“I’m proud to be able to represent the parents of IPS, and that’s who Stand is,” he said. “Those are just grassroots folks that are wanting to see a better education for their children.”

Cosby, meanwhile, is optimistic about her chances of winning. She received funding from Stand when she previously ran in 2012, but distanced herself from the group as she became more critical of the district’s partnership with charter schools.

“I feel like the community that I’ve been able to reach, especially those that are engaged at the forums and things of that nature, are discerning enough to realize that I’m an educator, I have a Ph.D. in education,” she said. “I think that shows, and it’s a definite asset to board service.”

The election is on Nov. 5. Early voting at the City-County Building is open to Nov. 4, with additional early voting sites open from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.