Indianapolis — From David Letterman to professional athletes like George Hill and Mike Woodson, Broad Ripple High School was home to notable Hoosiers. And now, students attending Purdue Polytechnic High School are bringing Broad’s Ripple High Hallway to life.
It shocked many in the community at the time that students were studying in the building for the first time since the school closed in 2018.
Step inside the door of Broad Ripple High School and Principal Richard Benberry will greet you like you’re already his friend.
He brings a familiar feel to the new temporary campus for more than 300 Purdue Polytechnic High School students.
As a child, Benberry lived in Broad Ripple and said he knew the impact it had on the community until it closed.
“How pristine this school is, having been unused for four years. That’s the part I can’t get over,” he said.
It is in pristine condition as the Indianapolis Public Schools continued to partially use the facility.
However, this week we will reopen the doors to students and educators who have been using the 3rd floor for a year.
PPHS students are calling the 375,000-square-foot facility an upgrade.
PPHS sophomore Calvin Stauss said:
Students said they packed their rooms for class last year.
“There are some general quality of life improvements. I think having wider hallways is something that office buildings don’t really have. That would be a huge bonus,” Stauss said. .
Classrooms in the old facility were so dense that students could hear conversations through the walls.
“I think my grades will go up significantly and I will be able to focus more on what I have to do,” said junior Alex Murphy.
Now at Broad Ripple High School, student-athletes are also taking their chances.
“A lot of sports, a lot of history comes to mind,” Murphy said.
“…where we used to practice, we had to go all the way east by Howe (Thomas Kerr Howe) High School to practice,” said junior Jaden Burney. Told.
Broad Ripple High will serve as a temporary campus for PPHS, and construction work will be completed on the new North Campus.
“We’re going to use it, we’re going to use it,” Barney said.
From an administrative perspective, Benberry said he sees the learning benefits this new space offers.
“Yeah, it’s a big deal. It’s a big deal,” he said.
Last year, PPHS students walked between Broad Ripple’s two campuses.
At this pace, charter schools increased the number of students who needed more space.
“And we were like, ‘Oh my God,'” said PPHS’ Shatoya District School Operations Director.
Working with IPS now also helps school districts.
IPS has not yet sold Broad Ripple High School, said Jamie VanDeWalle, the district’s chief portfolio officer.
School officials say this is partly due to current laws that allow charter schools to purchase buildings for $1 under certain circumstances.
“Dollar law is a legislative element that makes it very difficult for us to think about selling real estate,” Vandewall said.
“We love our partnership with IPS, but we’re not interested in buying a building for $1,” said Ward.
The future of the building is still unclear, but the joy of learning together and the true excitement of Broad Ripple High School are clear.
“I want to be able to serve our community, especially with all these great businesses that are here, how can students be innovative and help these businesses grow? Is it?” said Benberry.
Other people and organizations have bid to acquire Broad Ripple High School.
Under a five-year innovation agreement with IPS, Purdue Polytechnic High School agreed to use the facility for $25,000 for one year and agreed not to charge Broad Ripple High School’s property for $1.
IPS’s “Rebuilding Stronger” campaign is currently underway, and the district hopes to share a draft plan with the community in early fall. As such, there may be further discussion about the future of Broad Ripple High at that point.
For now, there are no planned changes, and PPHS will continue to use other buildings along Broad Ripple Avenue as maker’s spaces while students study at Broad Ripple High.
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