Irvington students lead protest across schoolsThe latest local and breaking news, weather and sports from Indianapolis and across central Indiana. INDIANAPOLIS – Irvington Community Schools students led a protest against controversial budget cuts after staff call-offs canceled classes for a sec ond consecutive day at the ICS middle school and preparatory academy. Students gathered at Irvington Elementary School, which resumed classes Friday, then marched to Irvington Middle School and Irvington Preparatory Academy. About a dozen students were joined by some parents and a few ICS staff members. ICS senior Noah Nix, who is on track to be valedictorian, held a sign reading, “Our teachers staff deserve better.” “What is being done to them right now from the CEO and the board is really not okay,” Nix said.  Student protesters gather outside of Irvington Community Middle School on Friday, Nov. 13 (WISH photo) Sources at Irvington Community Schools described the call-offs as a “call to action” for the ICS Board of Governors to increase financial transparency and address the impacts budget cuts are having on employees. Those cuts include reductions to teacher retirement benefits and the school ending services for substitute teachers.  Following those changes, Irvington CEO Rachel Maldonado said the charter network still faces a deficit totaling more than $1.5 million, down from the $2.85 million deficit ICS reported at the end of the fiscal year ending in June. After classes were canceled on Thursday, art supply shop Good Job Creative Reuse invited ICS families to write letters of support for teachers to tape on the outside of the store on Audubon Road. One note simply reads, “We stand by the teachers.” Notes from ICS families thanking local teachers posted on the window of Good Job Creative Reuse (WISH photo) Ahead of Friday’s protest, ICS Senior Jane Schrodetzki said the call-offs are “a response to a larger problem”.  “I’m very concerned for the future of Irvington,” Schrodetzki said. “I think our leadership is flawed.”  A petition calling for Maldonado’s resignation totaled more than 550 signatures by Friday afternoon.  “It’s heartbreaking to know that we don’t have somebody higher up that actually cares about the community and only cares about the money,” ICS junior Milo Kaminski said. Maldonado did not respond to requests for comment.  “Whether that’s the CEO stepping down, board members stepping down, I just need to see something different,” Nix said. “Because what’s going on right now is causing more problems than it is good.” Student protesters pose for a group photo outside of Irvington Community Middle School (Photo provided: Fiona Nix) ...read more read less