INDIANAPOLIS — Some Broad Ripple Middle School parents, worried about their kids' education and safety, are demanding answers from the Indianapolis Public Schools Board.
Written comments on conditions at the school paint a dire picture of crumbling infrastructure and staff overwhelmed by a student body that's double what was expected.
"Something went wrong. What happened? We need to know," said one parent at a board meeting Thursday night.
"If any of you guys have kids, I bet you won't send them there — a place that will get shot up at one point," a Broad Ripple Middle School student said.
Almost a month into the school year, parents and some students say so far, there have been multiple problems.
"My child has not learned practically anything in the last month, but let's put that aside. The reality is that she is scared to go to school," one parent said.
"School is supposed to be fun for teachers, staff and students, but not at Broad Ripple," one student said.
The list of concerns is lengthy.
"Some speakers in the classroom don't work. If there's an emergency, we won't be able to hear it. Students yell at teachers every day. Students cuss at other students and students cuss at teachers. The girls locker room had to be shut down because students were caught having sex in there," one student said.
Teachers say they were expecting about 400 students this year. Currently, there are close to 800. One teacher reported having 42 students in a single class.
Written comments described a broken PA system, phones that don't work for teachers and physical violence among students.
"The kids are out of hand. I don't know how you expect us to put our kids' education on hold while you figure it out," another frustrated parent said.
"It takes mere seconds for bruises to begin forming, for hair to be pulled or torn, or for blood to be drawn," one teacher said in a written comment.
Most of the parents spoke about their great experience at other IPS schools and their high hopes for Broad Ripple Middle School, now open in the old Broad Ripple High School building.
"It's really sad because we all want this to be successful and believe in it," a parent said.
Now, they're asking the board to fix it.
"I would really like to ask you to put additional staffing in the hallways in the classrooms to help fix the behavioral issues that are going on and make this a safe place for our kids," one parent said.
Principal Tiffany Robinson told 13News before the meeting Thursday evening the technical issues did, in fact, leave 18 classrooms without access to the PA or phones. She said a contractor error is to blame.
"So our team has been working relentlessly to install the new wiring and getting the classrooms up and functioning," Robinson said. "Those members of my team who do not have access to a telephone, they do have walkie-talkies."
Teachers also complain about how money is spent. Only half of IPS' $800 million Rebuilding Stronger plan moved forward with a referendum. The part that did was focused on school athletics. That has caused stark contrasts, according to some staff.
"We have had to scrounge for bookcases and basic supplies, while our sports teams have amazing uniforms," another teacher wrote.
Parents describe a front office that isn't able to call teachers' classrooms. One mother said that when a child is picked up, their name is called out over the school PA because the office can't contact their teacher any other way.
That same mother said students in the orchestra classroom can't hear fire alarms.
Another mother described a teacher breaking down crying in the middle of class because students were so disruptive.
"There comes time when behaviors can be challenging, and there has been some physical altercations that took place," Robinson said. "We are learning to navigate through those challenges."
A teacher wrote, "More concerning than anything is the fear I feel for and from my students. Students are afraid to go to certain classes or the bathroom due to the constant fighting and lack of control. It hearts my heart to hear my students tell me they are afraid. How can they learn in this environment?"
"Ensuring safety is not just a joint effort, but it's a community effort," Robinson said. "So it's not just our staff. It's also our families, our district, along with our students."
On site at Broad Ripple Middle School, Robinson said there are two behavioral support specialists, social workers, councilors, security officers and brand new security cameras both inside and outside the building.
"I know we are the only school right now who has this top-notch security that we are able to actually look at our grounds and our interior via phone," Robinson said. "I really applaud IPS for allowing us to have this because we are monitoring what is happening inside and outside of our building."
At the meeting Thursday evening, IPS Superintendent Dr. Aleesia Johnson addressed concerns, saying they're not falling on deaf ears. She said they are actively working to fix some of the issues.
"We are making progress in the right direction. It's clear we have work to do at Broad Ripple, so we are committed to doing that work. So I appreciate you taking the time. I just want to acknowledge some of those action steps, and more will be coming," Johnson said.
IPS sent 13News a statement Wednesday, Sept. 4 saying:
"At Indianapolis Public Schools, nothing is more important to us than safety. That's true for Broad Ripple and that's true for every school in our district. That's why as soon as parents and teachers raised concerns about an increase in fights and behavioral issues at Broad Ripple Middle School, we took swift action. We are working closely with the school leadership team and we want to share more about our initial response in two key areas:
Student and Staff Safety
Since the beginning of the school year, we have been staffed with expanded administrative staff for behavior support. This includes two behavior specialists, two Deans on the administrative staff, in addition to the Principal and two Assistant Principals. As well as security officers for arrival/departure traffic management, and a School Resource Officer for relationship-building and monitoring.
We will be adding security during the school day, focusing on transitions and hiring is in progress for a new Climate and Culture Specialist staff member.
Faculty Concerns
The Intercom issues in all classrooms have been fixed. The fire alarm, video and camera access has been operational since school started. The school community should be aware that ongoing building projects may cause minor disruptions.
We will continue to monitor any additional support required at the school and will adjust as needed."