Rebuilding Stronger

By: Edward Relue

The IPS board voted to approve the massive changes for the district last month under its "Rebuilding Stronger" plan. Our school will be affected because our middle school program will move to the current location of Broad Ripple High School. This would take place in the 2024-2025 school year, meaning students in grades 6-8 will be directly impacted.

“I’m not sure if I like the decision from IPS,” says fifth grader Brendan Long. “I’m more comfortable with our school than going to a school I know little about. I’m also worried that I will have fewer friends in the classes that I know because there will be so many more students. I hope the facilities of the new school will be improved from ours due to the fact it used to be a high school.” This is true for the most part with a full-sized gym along with a practice gym for athletes.

Brendan’s feelings seem to be pretty much in line with the consensus of the school. Some people are excited and some are unhappy because there are benefits and downsides to the changes. Sixth grader Dylan Burke thinks the transition into high school will be easier because the school was built to be a high school, and there will be many more students than our school. “I don’t like the timing of the change because my eighth-grade year will be at Broad Ripple and eighth grade is so special at CFI. But the changes will be good for other schools because our teachers are very good and there will be more opportunities for the students at this new school,” he said.

Even though the changes are very large and imminent, people seem to be keeping an open mind.