A recent protest of the conditions at West Side Leadership Academy led to productive conversations with students and parents, according to Gary Community School Corporation Manager Dr. Paige McNulty. But she refuses to call the event a student walk-out.
"This was unfortunately a small, adult-led initiative — who are not there for student-centered reasons. So we had a small group of students that were encouraged to walk out of school to address adult issues," she told the Gary City Council Tuesday.
McNulty said no one raised concerns beforehand, and she felt the issues were blown out of proportion. "When I tell you that we have 18 restrooms at our facility with six stalls apiece and we have one door missing out of a bathroom, to me, that is not a bathroom that is in disuse," McNulty said.
She said school administrators have encouraged students to share any concerns, and many of their suggestions will be put into place.
Meanwhile, school officials reported that students are already catching up from pandemic-related learning loss. Chief Academic Officer Kim Bradley said the percentage of K-through-eight students reading at or above grade level rose from 10 percent at the start of the school year to 20 percent now. For math, that rate went from two percent to nine percent.
"Now we are not saying that we're at the point where everything's wonderful. We know that we have a long way to go. But we see the trajectory in the right direction," Bradley told council members.
McNulty said the school corporation has targeted 80 percent of its federal COVID money toward addressing learning loss. She said Gary schools have already implemented several of the Indiana Department of Education's recommendations, like extending the school day, expanding special education, and offering extra tutoring before and after school.
