Paramount School of Excellence received a long-awaited approval in its effort to open a new charter school in Washington Township.
A hearing examiner with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission granted the charter network a favorable recommendation in a meeting Thursday, Feb. 29, to rezone a former church at 5136 Michigan Road for use as a school.
It comes as a key step in what promises to be a drawn-out series of requests and appeals over Paramount’s planned Girls IN STEM Academy, an all-girls STEM school intended to serve students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
Paramount leaders say their new school is designed to provide a pathway to high-paying STEM careers for girls of color who have historically underperformed their white peers in subjects such as math and science.
“Our new school helps address this problem at the source: our young girls in Indianapolis,” Girls IN STEM Academy Principal Chrystal Westerhaus said during the hearing. “It allows them to thrive in a proven, supportive environment that supports belonging and purpose.”
The hearing comes following a series of delays after the Washington Township school district and its supporters sought multiple continuances of what would otherwise be a routine zoning request. They say Paramount entered the community with little notice and no direct conversation until the neighborhood requested it.
“They seemed oblivious to hearing concerns from our neighborhood,” said Monty Hulse, of the Highland-Kessler Civic League. “We felt they lacked transparency and honesty.”
The charter network had hoped to open its new school in the Washington Township location this fall, but delays in zoning have pushed back the school’s renovation schedule. Paramount CEO Tommy Reddicks said the network is considering temporary locations to ensure the school still opens for the coming school year.
Dozens of supporters and opponents filled the hearing room Thursday, some in matching T-shirts or carrying colorful signs. Charter-friendly organizations such as RISE Indy and the Mind Trust showed their support, while traditional public school supporters like the Indianapolis Education Justice Coalition and the Washington Township Parent Council expressed opposition.
Washington Township to be rezoned as a charter school at the City-County Building on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Credit: Carley Lanich / Mirror Indy
An attorney for Washington Township Schools argued Thursday that the Paramount school doesn’t fit into the vision of the city’s comprehensive plan and expressed concern for increased traffic on Michigan Road. Others opponents cited recent comments from the executive director of the Indiana Charter School Board stating the board is no longer authorizing charters in the Indianapolis area because the city has become oversaturated with schools.
“There are too many schools,” Washington Township’s attorney Jonathan Hughes said. “That’s particularly true here. Washington Township has Crooked Creek Elementary less than a mile away.”
Paramount attorney Brian Tuohy, however, made the case that the zoning request was being opposed only because the proposed academy is a charter school. He said the former church already houses some classrooms used for youth development programs, meaning the building’s use should meet development standards. The charter network also had a traffic study conducted, though city staff did not require it.
“It seems to be most of the opposition is to the type of school being proposed by Paramount,” Tuohy said. “I wonder if this was a Montessori school or a Catholic school if there would be a lot less opposition to this.”
Hearing Examiner Judy Weerts Hall, who lives in Washington Township, said the purpose of the zoning hearing was not to debate the merit of charter schools.
“I don’t feel like it’s relevant for me if it’s a public school, if it’s a charter, if it’s a private school,” the examiner said before giving her favorable recommendation. “I am considering solely whether a rezoning for a school is appropriate here.”
The hearing examiner’s recommendation sends Paramount’s request to the full Metropolitan Development Commission, which is expected to consider the issue March 20.
Opposing parties, however, can still appeal the hearing examiner’s decision. Washington Township Assistant Superintendent Sean Taylor told Mirror Indy after the meeting that the district plans to pursue an appeal.
Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
