Gary Common Council endorses call for school debt forgiveness
The Gary Common Council is backing a resolution that calls for the state to forgive the debt owed by the struggling Gary Community School Corp.
The resolution passed Dec. 3 with council president Ron Brewer, D-At large, the lone dissenter.
Introduced by Councilwoman LaVetta SparksWade, D-6th, the resolution originated from a group of parents in the West Side Leadership Academy Parent-Teacher-Student-Association.
The city has no statutory authority over the school district, a separate taxing body, but its backers say they needed the resolution for lobbying efforts with state officials.
Besides seeking debt forgiveness, it asks for the return of the district to local control and for improvements to be made at West Side.
“As parents, there comes a point where you have to fight for your children and recognize the history and policy that’s led to this,” said parent Tracy Coleman, who’s also a former Gary school district attorney.
She argued the state forgave about 90% of debt owed by charter schools, so it can also relieve the school district of its debt, estimated at more than $90 million in cumulative debt.
Since 2017, the district has been operated by MGT Consulting, a private firm, hired by the state after it declared the district a distressed unit. State legislation mandated that Gary remain a distressed district until it has a balanced budget for two years.
The state took the drastic action because the district’s accumulated debt was over $100 million and its operating deficit was about $28 million.
The parents group is petitioning the Distressed Unit Appeal Board to hold a public hearing because it disagrees with spending outlined in the 2020 budget. The parents want the West Side roof and swimming pool repaired.
Brewer argued for the measure to go back to committee. He said the district wasn’t a good steward of the schools when it had control.
“We put a new boiler in Pulaski and then we closed it and scrappers got it. We put a $2 (million) or $3 million roof on Emerson, then closed it the next year…. When you talk about control, show me a plan… think about what we’re asking for.”
Bob Coleman, president of the West Side PTSA, said sending the resolution back to committee would amount to “passing the buck. This is just phase one. If you’ve seen conditions of the schools, why haven’t you spoken up?”
Mayor Karen FreemanWilson said the district has done a physical assessment of each school to document its needs.
“We need to do something,” said Councilwoman Rebecca Wyatt, D-1st. “We can’t wait until we can fix the whole thing, don’t delay any more.”
Sparks-Wade said the district needs to start razing its abandoned schools.
“This is a class issue. Our children should not have to suffer because they are not in the right class. Education levels the playing field,” she said.
Tracy Coleman said equity is needed. “Our median income isn’t there. Kids are in poverty, that’s a harsh economic reality years in the making.”
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.