Dear Editor:
Valor Classical Academy will become Hamilton County’s first tuition-free, classical charter school. Valor aims to partner with families in strengthening the character and educating the mind of each student, ultimately guiding them to love learning and to understand, respect, and support the founding principles of our great nation.
The school’s model is supported by a program of Hillsdale College in Michigan, which has been successful throughout the nation. Valor’s charter has been approved and includes several layers of accountability and transparency at the federal, state, and local levels.
The school’s interest exceeds its opening capacity of 378 students, and its plan for growth to serve more than 700 students has already been well-established. Valor’s founding group is fully prepared to open the new school. All that remains is finding a building. The group has even been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Education to cover startup expenses but will have to relinquish the award if they can’t find a building to open in 2023.
After the Orchard Park Elementary building in Carmel was closed for students, Valor’s counsel invited Carmel Clay School Corporation to negotiate a lease or sale of the building, which could include a plan to accommodate Carmel’s early childcare and storage needs, but the Corporation declined. Rather than leasing or selling the building to Valor, the Corporation will vote on a plan – which includes demolishing the building – at a cost of $3 million for taxpayers.
Because Carmel leads the way in Hamilton County, we were disheartened to learn that they weren’t interested in hosting the county’s first tuition-free, public charter school that follows a leading national model With or without a beginning in Carmel, Valor is being built. Carmel is missing a grand opportunity to add this diversity among the jewels in their crown.
Carmel residents who wish to voice their opposition to this plan and those who wish to speak in support of Valor must register at Carmel’s school board meeting before 5:45 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30 at the Educational Services Center, 5201 E. Main St., Carmel. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.
Valor’s founders continue to work diligently to establish the school. After an alternate plan fell through earlier this week, Valor is once again searching for a building. If you have information on a suitable facility in Hamilton County, please send it as soon as possible to michael.gallo@valorclassicalacademy.org.
Holly Wilson
Board President, Valor Classical Academy
I have not seen evidence that Valor understands, supports, and respects the founding principles of our great nation or of its Founders.Rather the contrary.
Carmel can’t handle having some competition. What a waste to spend three million to tear it down instead of using it for educational purposes
As someone who lives in the Orchard Park neighborhood, I can attest to the challenges having a school in that neighborhood presents, namely with traffic and the lack of respect parents seem to have for the neighbors of their children’s school. That facility is also older, and unable to be expanded any further. It also have some significant challenges with its’ layout. My young son will miss the playground when they demolish it, but it’s really for the best. There are several other large buildings in the area. While not free, they are in much better and more visible locations. There is also still land available to build on in the area. If parents want their kids going to a private school (religiously affiliated or not), when the public schools it would be competing with are some of the best in the nation, then they can pay for it themselves, rather than having my tax dollars pay for it.
Carmel residents have already paid for this building for the purpose of educating children. At such time where parents are demanding maximum flexibility and parental oversight in their children’s education, it would be wonderful to have this charter located in Carmel. At the previous Valor meeting, the overwhelming majority spoke in favor of welcoming this opportunity to our community. There are hundreds of children on waiting lists for private schools and many more that never make it on to IDOE rosters due to home schooling. Valor would be a respite for children who have additional needs above and beyond what CCS has been able (or willing) to provide.
It’s sickening how CCS is handling this situation. They have already lost many students due to their poor ability to teach children and focus more on
CRT and gender identity. There is reason parents are pulling their kids. CCS just doesn’t want any more withdrawals because that’s more federal dollars they lose. Wake up people. Why are they harassing the school so much? We’ve got plenty of private schools and alternative schools here and more opening every year. This school will be full when they open just like all the others
“Uninhabitable” according to the superintendent of Carmel Clay Schools? Children, teachers, and administration were there until 2021. So interesting why CCS is working so hard to keep Valor out of the school when many families feel this is the best option for their children.
That building has been paid for by the taxpayers and Valor should be allowed to purchase the building. I would say I do not understand why Carmel Clay Schools doesn’t want Valor around, but it is apparent that don’t want the competition. The superintendent and administrators know they’d lose even more students because of their woke ideology and lack of focus on true academics.
CCS does not want the competition. They feel threatened by having a tuition free alternative that just might out perform them. Yes, there are alternatives to CCS but they all come with a price tag that not everyone can afford plus, many now have waiting lists. Some for the first time ever as parents look for a haven away from social ideology being implemented in the public system.
I hope valor considers another site here. I live in the area next to the school. There’s a sprawling lae office building at 10455 college for lease with 12277 ft available for $17.50 per ft. It might be enough.to get a small school started in the near future, then grow with time. It was the Easter Law office.