Help Decide the Fate of the James E. Roberts School 97!

In 1936 IPS opened Roberts School for the city's disabled students. It was innovative development for its time and the building remains an excellent example of Art Moderne architecture.

For fifty years the school housed classes for the disabled, until IPS mainstreamed the students. The building then housed the Key Learning Community and later the Horizon Middle School. In 2006 IPS vacated the building and is now considering other options for it; one option is to tear it down. The school board will vote on the building’s fate in August or September of 2007.

Neighborhood groups want to save the school, based on its significant social history and outstanding architecture. We hope to convince IPS to license the school for educational purposes (many organizations have already expressed interest). Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana and NESCO have formed a task force to find suitable tenants to meet the requirements of the land deed for the Arsenal Technical campus.

IPS Public Forum Recap, Wednesday, June 27,

1. An IPS attorney explained the history of the Arsenal Technical Campus trust and licensing / land-use limitations
2. 70 attendees…all in favor of saving the building…represented by Tracy Heaton, NESCO Director
3.  Marsh Davis, director of Historic Landmarks, presented condition assessment study and offered their financial assistance to help save the school. He asked IPS to give us time to write a proposal for an alternative educational use.
4. After a question-and-answer period, Superintendent White agreed to let us write a proposal due to the board by Feb. 1, 2008. School board decision to be made later that month.
5. Use ideas should be directed to NESCO, not directly to IPS.
 
A HUGE thanks to everyone for writing letters, signing petitions, calling board members, distributing signs, attending the meeting, and pulling together to help make the near east side a better place to live.

For a complete meeting summary follow this link.

Please lend your voice to help save the school.

1. Contact the School Board
Write letters thanking IPS for their willingness to work with the community to save the building.

2. Share your ideas for the building
If you know of any groups looking for space or wanting to start exciting, collaborative programming for youth, please send your ideas to
hostetler@indy.rr.com. A community task force will make the final decision from written proposals.

Groups Unified to Save Roberts School 97:
Near East Side Community Organization (NESCO)
Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana (HLFI)
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
John H. Boner Community Center
East 10th Street Civic Association
ReImagine Neighborhoods, LLC
Arsenal Heights Civic League
Cottage Home Neighborhood Association
Springdale Neighborhood Association
Windsor Park Neighborhood Association
Woodruff Place Civic League