Marion County school districts remain open this week in the aftermath of historic flooding.
That includes Washington Township, which was hit hard by floods over the weekend.
At least 400 families in the Washington Township schools area were evacuated, according to communications to families from Superintendent Sean Taylor that were shared with Mirror Indy.
“I am incredibly grateful for the way this community continues to show up for one another — especially during challenging times like these,” Taylor wrote in an email to staff and families Sunday. “We will get through this together.”
Here’s how schools across the city are responding and how families who were impacted by the disaster can get help.
Related
Indianapolis flood relief resources
Where to find shelter, food, clothes and pet supplies.
Washington Township schools
Despite areas such as Ravenswood and Rocky Ripple being evacuated over the weekend, Washington Township schools remained open Aug. 17.
District spokesperson Ellen Rogers said school social workers and counselors have been doing evaluations and student outreach to find out exactly how many students were affected.
Some bus stops and routes were changed due to flooding, according to Taylor’s emails to families. However, those families were notified of the changes directly through the district’s communications platform.
The Red Cross’ emergency relief shelter in the main gym of the Washington Township Services Center, 8401 Westfield Boulevard, is open 24 hours a day for families and students who need shelter.
Families can also visit Door 20 of the same building from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday to pick up supplies, including toiletries, cleaning supplies and diapers.
For more direct support, contact your school’s social worker. A full list of Washington Township schools social workers and their contact information is available at this link.
Indianapolis Public Schools
Marc Ransford, spokesperson for Indianapolis Public Schools, said in a statement to Mirror Indy that the flooding did not cause damage at district schools. Schools remain open on a typical schedule.
“We have not had any significant family needs, but IPS families know that our Family and Community Engagement Liaisons are available to help with a variety of needs,” Ransford’s statement said.
Broad Ripple Middle School is close to the White River, but in a community newsletter over the weekend, Principal Tonia Thompson assured families the school campus was “completely safe, unaffected, and fully accessible for both vehicles and pedestrians.”
Schools in Marion County’s other nine public school districts appeared to be open and unaffected by floods, according to district social media and websites reviewed by Mirror Indy.
Herron-Riverside High School
Herron-Riverside High School remains open despite its basement being flooded, spokesperson Karen Lalioff told Mirror Indy.
The charter school is located right off the White River and 30th Street on the west side. Photos of flooding outside the building were widely shared on social media.
Lalioff said Herron-Riverside was only aware of one student who was unable to make it to school due to the floods.
Indy’s Catholic schools
Brian Disney, school superintendent for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, which oversees Catholic schools across central and southern Indiana, said no Archdiocese schools are closed or were damaged due to the floods.
However, three Catholic schools in other parts of the state are closed — in Rushville, Connersville and Brookville, Disney said.
“All of our locations are reaching out to families that are in need,” Disney said. “We don’t have anything as a specific coordinated effort right now, but we’re dealing with it on an individual basis.”
This article may be updated with additional information.
If your school was affected by flooding, reach out to Mirror Indy education reporters Claire Rafford and Carley Lanich at claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org or carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org.
A correction was made Aug. 18: An earlier version of this story misstated how close Broad Ripple Middle School is to the White River.
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Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, at 317-759-0249 or on most social media @clairerafford.
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