The Gary Community School Corporation could return to local control in 2024. Emergency manager MGT Consulting outlined a transition plan during a public forum Tuesday, following a meeting with the state's Distressed Unit Appeal Board.
DUAB Executive Director Peter Miller said a new school board could be put in place next summer, pending approval by the Indiana General Assembly, to begin searching for a superintendent. The school board would then assume complete control on June 30, 2024.
But some community members are concerned about DUAB's decision to keep MGT in the meantime. Gary School Advisory Board President Robert Buggs noted a drop in reading scores during MGT's leadership. "How can you look a parent in the face and say we're going to forget those 58 students [out of 100] that cannot read at all and give you two more years of the one that put them in that status?" Buggs asked.
Gary Teachers Union President GlenEva Dunham said most teachers aren't happy with MGT, and they haven't come to an agreement on this year's contract. "Under this administration, people are treated like dirt. We're treated like dogs. Teachers don't have a say-so in the academics," Dunham complained.
Many of those in attendance felt MGT's plans to improve academics were short on specifics. Most of their questions weren't answered during the forum, but manager Dr. Paige McNulty promised to address them in the coming weeks.