Now just bystanders, THREE OF GARY'S NEW SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS (L-R) NORM BAILEY, ROBERT BUGGS, AND JAMES PIGGEE

Gary school board accepting applications for its replacement

Contributed By:The 411 News

The notice from the Gary school board that it is taking applications is brief.

The board is looking for an individual to take over the duties and responsibilities the seven members perform as manager of the Gary Community School Corporation.

Removing the board from its decision-making authority, both financially and academically in the Gary public school system, is part of 2017 legislation giving control of the district to the State of Indiana. The Muncie school district is also under takeover.

The legislation, Senate Bill 567, directs the state’s Distressed Unit Appeals Board to appoint an emergency manager, a chief financial officer and a chief academic officer to replace Gary schools superintendent Cheryl Pruitt and the Board of School Trustees as operators of the school district. The legislation also created a 4-member fiscal management board that will advise the emergency manager. One member will be appointed by the school board, the position the board is seeking to fill immediately.

Gary schools’ path from self-governing to state takeover is a result of the district’s lack of funds to pay its employees, its vendors and a debt topping $100 million. Muncie’s school debt is $51 million.

At a Monday meeting at the Gary Career Center, area legislators took questions from an audience of mostly school district employees about the takeover. Sen. Eddie Melton, the bill’s sponsor called the meeting a tune-up for next week when members of the DUAB come to Gary to announce a timeline and details of implementing the state’s role in running the schools.

State Rep. Vernon Smith monitors a question and answer session at Monday's meeting at the Gary Career Center.

Board members in attendance didn’t participate in the discussion, although school board president Rosie Washington released a set of questions the board has forwarded to the DUAB.

Language in the bill limits the school board to once monthly meetings. ‘What counts as a meeting?’ concerns the board. Does it mean the twice-monthly regularly scheduled public meetings will be reduced to one? Will the board’s working sessions be eliminated? Is the monthly report from the emergency manager to the school board counted as a meeting?

The bill gives the emergency manager authority to sell school property. “Why must Muncie’s emergency manager consult with the superintendent and school board, but Gary’s emergency manager only has to notify the mayor?” the board asked.

Difficult for the new Gary school board members who were elected in November 2016 and took office in January is now to be just bystanders. They’ve lost the voice they hoped would help serve the educational interests of children in their community and believe the current board is being penalized for actions of past boards.

While the Gary school board seeks to fill the position on the fiscal management board, the DUAB has begun its search for an emergency manager.

Atty. Tony Walker, a board member for Gary’s Thea Bowman charter school, announced a partnership that includes Bowman’s education management organization has responded to the state’s RFI (Request for Information) for School Corporation Emergency Management Services. Phalen Leadership Academies is Bowman’s education manager and also operates several Indianapolis charter schools. Another partner in the proposal is the Robert Bobb Group, former emergency manager of the Detroit school district.

Their proposal seeks to manage the district’s elementary schools only.

The DUAB meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 15 in the auditorium of West Side Leadership Academy.

The Gary school district website has a fiscal management board job description and application information. The deadline is May 19.

Story Posted:05/13/2017