INDIANAPOLIS — "The school year, obviously, did not go as expected," said a former teacher at Broad Ripple Middle School.
She resigned earlier this year, and she's not alone.
According to personnel reports from August, September, and October, more than 100 employees resigned from Indianapolis Public Schools since the start of the school year.
At least eight of them were from Broad Ripple Middle School.
Since it's opening as a middle school for the 2024-2025 school year, the Broad Ripple building has been plagued with safety concerns and complaints from staff, students and families.
"Several students, scared to go to class or even to walk the hallways," said the former teacher, who asked to remain anonymous.
The teacher said she witnessed several fights in the hallways, cursing at teachers, and threats among students. She called it an "unsafe learning environment."
"If you would say something to a student," said the teacher, "most of the kids would swear at you or they'd take off running."
She talked about a time one student sought shelter in her classroom.
"He literally was shaking and said, 'I do not want to go out in the hallway. I'm afraid to go out in the hallway,'" she said.
The middle school is housed inside the old Broad Ripple High School building, which the teacher said was not ready to reopen in 2024.
"It definitely was not ready," she said. "It was just thrown together."
In August, 13News reported technical issues at the school, including faulty phones, panic buttons that didn't work, and doors that didn't lock.
A spokesperson for the district confirmed work crews were fixing the technical issues at the school.
The former teacher, however, said all the distractions made it nearly impossible to teach.
"I don't enjoy this," said the teacher. "I no longer want to be here. It's not worth it."
According to IPS personnel reports, those who have resigned so far include a dean, two math teachers, a special education teacher, a special education assistant, a language arts teacher, an English as a New Language teacher, and an instructional coach.
"That school has an amazing staff, but unfortunately, a lot of educators can't educate," she said. "I truly believe this is a district problem, and when I say district problem, I'm talking about central office."
13News reached out to IPS on Wednesday. A spokesperson said they were not available for an interview. The district shared the following statement instead:
"Broad Ripple Middle School experienced some challenges at the start of the year as we launched this new school; however, the district and school team quickly collaborated to address these issues and have seen continued progress.
The district assigned Jeremy Baugh as an Administrator on Special Assignment in mid-September. Under Mr. Baugh’s tenure, Broad Ripple has implemented key initiatives, including a revised bell schedule, new extracurricular activities, improved hallway transition, enhanced security, consistent enforcement of the cell phone policy, and improved communication with parents to enhance student success and foster a positive school culture. These improvements have resulted in positive feedback from parents.
Our Indianapolis Public Schools team is proud to serve the students and families who have chosen Broad Ripple Middle School, and we are focused on the continued progress at the school."
An IPS spokesperson also confirmed enrollment has dropped at Broad Ripple Middle School, from 753 students in August to 621 on Oct. 1.
For parents, the former teacher suggests talking to your kids about school every day.
"Have this conversation every night," said the teacher. "What are you seeing in the hallway? What are the behaviors in the classroom?"