Good Day,

Attached is a flyer for the sales tax referendum that was utilized to pass the funding necessary for several
Unit 4 school initiatives including Garden Hills. I was part of the community team that worked with the
Board to get the referendum passed.

What is important to understand about this history is that this package was negotiated with the community
as a resolution to end the Consent Decree and provide equitable school facilities for the black students in
Unit 4.

This was back when the Unit 4 Board President was an individual who listened to all sides and crafted a
consensus Plan among the whole community which had unified community support.

Let me be very clear . It is an insult at the highest level to the black community to even suggest snatching
this school from this neighborhood and busing the kids who attend to inferior facilities. Now despite the
current Board having a Republican Board President whose views are aligned with Donald Trump, this is
not Mississippi and committing atrocities on black children will not be allowed.

The facts are 180 plus students are within walking distance of Garden Hills. Bussing them will cause
harm on their already struggling academic performance and devastate the property values of the homes
in the neighborhood. What has been proposed is a wholesale gentrification plan to strip GH neighborhood
of its dignity and roots perpetuating the history of Unit 4 to a new level as a District that discriminates and
undeserved students of color.

I am urging 4 school board members to end this discussion immediately. It is such a violent assault on the
black community of Garden Hills that even the discussion is terrorizing the children and their families.

I am not surprised Armstrong/Zola would try such a blatantly racist action ... I am hopeful that 4 rationale
members will realize a dialogue of taking GH away from it’s neighborhood community would have
devastating and long term effects regardless of the outcome. I can say this because in the peace of my
home my phone started ringing when the story broke and my community is highly alarmed and scared of
what will happen to their kids and neighborhood.

Minnie Pearson and the NAACP sent a letter of urgency. Let’s get that priority in the public discussion.

The reality is we should be having a public discussion of how in the past 6 years under the leadership of
Armstrong/Zola that test scores at Garden Hills have plummeted at alarming rates. Let’s have public
hearings so teachers, parents and community leaders can testify to the management of Garden Hills by
Zola/Armstrong that have produced the results we see today .

By the way, you should know Garden Hills had an excellent principal several years back and
Zola/Armstrong ran her out ... She went on to get her PhD at Harvard and is now Superintendent in a
high risk District in Indiana.

I am prayerful there are 4 Board members who will have the courage to stop this process immediately.

Thank you ,

Craig Walker