Carmel parks and school district no longer partnering for use of Orchard Park Elementary

Carmel Clay Schools and Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation are no longer partnering for future use of the former Orchard Park Elementary School building.

However, that doesn't mean the legal battle between the school district and coming-soon charter school has ended.

Michael Klitzing, director of Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation, told the Carmel City Council on Monday that the partnership between the district and parks is no longer happening.

“We have suspended conversations regarding that while the current legal issues are out there," he said. "so at this point in time, we are not continuing the conversations but as circumstances change we may revisit that."

Klitzing added that if circumstances do change, the parks are “here to be a community partner.”

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Carmel schools and the city’s parks department announced in June 2021 that they would partner on the future of the property. Orchard Park Elementary closed as a school in May 2021.

This March, organizers of a new charter school, Valor Classical Academy, announced plans for Hamilton County as well as their interest in the Orchard Park building, saying they were “in communication” with the school district about the building.

Carmel Schools superintendent Michael Beresford also said the district was never in contact with Valor about the building. The district stressed that the building was in use.

The charter school later sued Carmel Clay Schools saying the district didn’t follow a state law that allows charter schools to buy or lease unused academic buildings for $1.

Lawsuit over use of building continues

The decision by the parks department does not change the district’s use of the building, per a Tuesday statement from Carmel schools.

District and parks officials met and the latter “confirmed they are no longer interested in partnering with the district on future plans for the Orchard Park site,” according to the school district’s statement.

“Our continued use of the property is not impacted by the decision," the statement reads. "Carmel Clay Schools will continue to use the site to serve the needs of the district and community.”

The district said previously it is using the building for storage as well as trainings.

Holly Wilson, board president for Valor and Matt Wolf, also on the board, said in a Tuesday statement that their understanding was "the claimed partnership" between the district and parks didn’t exist. They also called the partnership a "unilateral action" by the district.

“Our intent is to repurpose the property for residents of the surrounding area and to restore the building to its best use - as a school,” Wilson and Wolf said in a statement. “While we are considering other options, we believe that Orchard Park is the most fiscally responsible option.”

Valor plans to open in fall 2023 for K-6 and is partnering with Hillsdale College, known for its conservative values and connections to multiple members of former President Donald Trump's administration. Hillsdale currently has one affiliate charter school in Indiana – Seven Oaks Classical School in Ellettsville, where Wolf is board president.

A charter school is a public school that operates under a contract – or charter – between the school’s organizer and an authorizer or sponsor. And if a student enrolls, the state funding allocated for that student would go to the charter school.

The April lawsuit filed by the charter school against Carmel schools is ongoing and the Carmel schools has through May 28 to respond to the charter school's lawsuit, per online court records.

Previous plans were to re-imagine school property

Per the resolution approved by the Carmel Clay School board in June 2021, the school district and parks department were planning for shared use of the elementary school property which is in the Home Place neighborhood.

Plans for what that looked like were never announced, and the partnership was aimed at creating a launchpad to re-imagine the school property, Beresford said at the time of the resolution.

Klitzing said then that the vision was for joint use by the parks and schools. called it a “great reuse” for the property and said he was looking forward to continued discussions.

Community feedback to the school district favored having a park — with the playground and existing trees — or a community center.

Beresford is expected to speak about the elementary school property at a Home Place Advisory Board meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in city council chambers at City Hall, One Civic Square in Carmel.

Call IndyStar education reporter MJ Slaby at 317-447-1586 or email her at mslaby@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @mjslaby.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Carmel Clay Schools, Parks & Recreation cut Orchard Park partnership