Bethune supporters on the bus

Bethune Preschool on the chopping block

Contributed By:The 411 News

Gary has always found a source of pride in the Bethune Early Childhood Development Center – its pre-kindergarten program that provides Montessori, traditional, and special education curriculums for 3-4 year olds. Up until last year, it was the only school district in the state to operate a standalone early childhood center. In 2017, the East Chicago school district joined them when it opened Carrie Gosch Early Learning Center.

For 30-plus years, the school district has operated Bethune on its own dime and with federal Title I funds. It doesn’t get financial support from the state of Indiana.

Now, statements from the district’s Emergency Manager Peggy Hinckley are putting the school’s future in doubt. It’s almost a repeat of last year’s steps that foreshadowed the closing of Wirt-Emerson high school.

October is budget time for the school district and all government units. For a school district that has to borrow from the state to pay its employees and other expenses, as Gary does, the emergency manager has to reduce spending.

During her monthly WLTH Radio broadcast this week, Dr. Hinckley told her audience, “Gary has too much elementary school space.” Bethune is not in good condition, she said, needing repairs to its heating/cooling system and roof. “We don’t have money for that kind of repair. I’d like to split those kids into two elementary schools.”

“A lot of students use Bethune, then they go on to charter schools,” Dr. Hinckley pointed out. “Placing the pre-kindergarten program in elementary schools will help build some loyalty to our schools.”

Not at the expense of our kids and parents, said Twan Harris of Dr. Hinckley’s spending reduction plan that includes closing Bethune. Harris is president of Bethune’s PTO and organized a bus trip to attend Wednesday’s meeting of the DUAB (Distressed Unit Appeals Board) in Indianapolis, the same day the Gary school district was to present its annual budget.

Due to last minute cancellations and no-shows, the bus didn’t leave Gary Wednesday morning.

If the bus trip had gone off as planned, Bethune’s supporters would have these messages for the DUAB.

We won’t stop, Harris said. “This is a family school where the parents are comfortable. They raised money for a new parking lot last year and put industrial ceiling fans in every classroom. The kids are doing excellent. Why would you want to close it? Dr. Hinckley has never spent a day here to see what’s going on.”

“Two years ago, the district tried placing pre-kindergarten programs at McCullough and Williams elementary schools and they didn’t work,” said Gretchen Green, a former Bethune teacher and now a volunteer.

“If Bethune has to close, the program should be moved intact to a new site,” from Ann Ramsey, retired Director of Elementary Education.

Harris added, “We know that 63% of Bethune graduates stayed in the district last year. So that’s over $1 million that came to the Gary schools.”


Bethune supporters (l-r) Ann Ramsey, Twan Harris, Geraldine Hill, Elnora Washngton, Bea Prickett, Tara Burge, and Gretchen Green

Story Posted:10/12/2018