Gary school board escapes firing squad

Contributed By:The 411 News

Gary’s school board got a new lease on life when the clock ran out on the Indiana General Assembly Wednesday. At midnight March 14, the 2018 session of the legislature ended without House Bill 1315 being heard.

Everybody knew HB 1315 was a done deal, said school board president Nellie Moore, about the legislation that would have converted Gary’s school board to an advisory committee and would only meet once every 3 months. “It was an unjust bill and God was on our side,” Moore said.

Gary teachers also breathed a sigh of relief. The bill would have overturned the state’s rule for firing teachers in Gary and Muncie, the other school district under state control. Depending on those districts ADM (average daily membership) count in September, teachers could be terminated by September 30. Current state law requires teacher reduction in force to be done between May 1 and July 1.

Glen Eva Dunham, Gary Teachers Union president remarked that the bill would make it difficult to hire new teachers for the next school year. “We can’t attract new teachers if they’re hired in August and then can be fired in September.”

Two bills that were priorities of Gov. Eric Holcomb also didn’t get heard. The governor wants to boost funding for school safety and update Indiana’s regulations on driverless cars.

Early Thursday morning, Gov. Holcomb released this statement, “The General Assembly adjourned with many accomplishments that will matter to people, but there’s still work to be done. I will look at all that can be done to complete unfinished business by administrative or legislative authority, if needed.” He has the authority to bring the legislature back for a special session to reconsider the bills that didn’t get heard.

Story Posted:03/15/2018