Full statement from the South Bend Community School Corporation:

At South Bend Schools, the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. We understand that today’s weather conditions created challenges across our community. We want to assure families that we took extensive measures to prepare our schools and buildings, and maintain safe conditions for arrival and dismissal.

We have a detailed process in place to assess and respond to severe weather. Based on available forecasts and road condition assessments, we made the decision to hold school today and took extensive precautions to ensure the safety of everyone on our campuses. This morning, over 19 tons of salt were applied to bus lanes, drive entryways, and parking lots. In addition, our building engineers distributed more than 7,000 pounds of MAXpro Premium Ice Melt on sidewalks and entrances. These efforts reflect our commitment to ensuring that all students, teachers, and staff can safely access and navigate our facilities.

We recognize that, despite these precautions, some members of our school community experienced delays and difficulties today. While no plan is perfect, we are committed to continuously improving our processes. We appreciate the patience of our families, the dedication of our staff who worked diligently to minimize disruptions and maintain a safe learning environment, and feedback from the community.

– Andrew Goetz | Communications Director, South Bend Community School Corporation

They’re not playing around in South Bend.

Meanwhile, down here in Indianapolis the schools have been opened this school year under similar conditions with numerous bus incidents, including a car sliding into the back of a bus in a neighborhood on the south side, due to the bad road conditions.

Indiana Code § 20-30-2-2.7

In reality, this is a political issue due to the Indiana State Department of Education‘s attendance requirements that have gotten out of control over the past few decades. In turn, school administrators are extremely hesitant to use up their built-in snow days, and to institute virtual learning days due to Indiana Code § 20-30-2-2.7 Subsection (e) which says that a school is permitted to conduct no more than three (3) virtual student instructional days each school year.

In a place like Indianapolis, or anywhere in southern Indiana, this isn’t an issue on a routine basis. Some years it isn’t an issue at all. But in northern Indiana where you have “lake effect snow” every winter, this can be a massive problem, no matter how prepared they are.

That said, nobody has ever accused the INDOE of being logical, intelligent, wise, or fair.

So, as we’ve seen in Indianapolis, parents have to stand up and make the call to keep their children at home when the conditions deem it the wise thing to do.

The superintendents don’t answer to the parents or the school board. They ultimately answer to the Indiana State Department of Education and the politicians running the state of Indiana. They’re the ones controlling the property tax money that they’re taking from the taxpayers. And that’s the truth of it.

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Authored by: Sen. Gary Byrne, Sen. Tyler Johnson. 

Co-Authored by: Sen. James Tomes, Sen. Michael Young, Sen. Blake Doriot, Sen. Scott Alexander, Sen. Randy Maxwell. 

Sponsored by: Rep. Chris Jeter, Rep. Wendy McNamara. 

Digest

Establishes prohibitions and requirements on state agencies, state educational institutions, and health profession licensing boards regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Provides that certain civil actions for noncompliance may be filed against a state educational institution. Establishes requirements regarding a standardized admissions test for state educational institutions that offer certain health education programs. Requires a school corporation, charter school, state agency, and political subdivision to post on its website certain training and curricular materials concerning nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion, race, ethnicity, sex, and bias. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, state agency, or political subdivision may not: (1) require or otherwise compel a student of the school corporation or charter school or an employee to affirm, adopt, or adhere to certain beliefs or concepts; or (2) use public funds to contract with, hire, or otherwise engage consultants, trainers, or other persons to take certain actions to promote the beliefs or concepts. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, state agency, political subdivision, or an employee of a school corporation, charter school, state agency, or political subdivision may not, in the course or scope of public service or employment, promote, embrace, or endorse stereotypes. Establishes a process for an employee, a parent, or an emancipated student to file a complaint of a violation. Allows the attorney general to file an action for mandate to compel a school corporation, charter school, state agency, or political subdivision to comply with certain requirements. 

Indiana Senate Bill 289 Naysayers

13 of the 50 Indiana State 124th General Assembly Senators, 4 Republicans, and 9 Democrats, voted “Nay” on Indiana Senate Bill 289.

• Ron Alting (R)
• Eric Bassler (R)
• J. D. Ford (D)
• Greg Goode (R)
• Andrea Hunley (D)
• La Keisha Jackson (D)
• Rodney Pol Jr. (D)
• David L. Niezgodski (D)
• Fady Qaddoura (D)
• Lonnie Randolph (D)
• Greg Taylor (D)
• Greg Walker (R)
• Shelli Yoder (D)

The remaining Democrat, Mark Spencer, was excused from voting along with Republicans Vaneta Becker and Aaron Freeman.

The “anti-DEI” bill now heads to the House.

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INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla voted to affirm today the existence of comparable asset managers as an alternative to BlackRock in providing Global Inflation-Linked Bonds for the Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS). This action was taken pursuant to Indiana House Enrolled Act 1008 from the 2023 legislative session, and the vote was unanimous. INPRS is now responsible for selecting a different asset manager for these bonds.  

“I commend State Treasurer Daniel Elliott for his thorough research regarding BlackRock’s involvement in broad-reaching priorities that are non-fiduciary and focused on social and environmental policy initiatives,” said Comptroller Nieshalla. “State retirees and employees deserve to benefit from investment managers who focus solely on fiduciary duty.”

Board members were presented with solid evidence based on documents BlackRock filed with the SEC that demonstrate its engagement with an ESG focused agenda.  

“I do commend BlackRock’s recent action to discontinue its affiliation with Climate Action 100+, but more needs to be done including ending its support of Net Zero and similar initiatives to demonstrate a refocused commitment of prioritizing beneficiaries over a political agenda.”

SOURCE: Indiana State Comptroller

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