All-girls charter school approved by City-County Council to open in Washington Township

By SYDNEY DAUPHINAIS The all-girls charter school Girls IN STEM Academy is planned to open in the former Witherspoon Presbyterian Church. City-county officials approved the property to be rezoned and used as a school. (Eric Weddle / WFYI) This article was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI as part of a partnership to increase coverage of township school districts in Marion County. Have a tip or story idea about a township school district? Email in.tips@chalkbeat.org and tips@wfyi.org or fill out this form. An all-girls charter school was granted final approval Monday to open in the boundary of the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township. The City-County Council passed a resolution to rezone 10 acres along Michigan Road for the Girls IN STEM Academy.& The approval of land use capped a& months-long public fight& that pitted school choice advocates against staunch supporters of traditional public schools, and elected officials at all levels took sides on the issue — from township trustees and school board members to city councilors and state lawmakers. In two& public rezoning hearings& with the Department of Metropolitan Development, those opposed questioned whether the site was suitable for a school. They also argued there isn’t a need for...