Gary schools get $3.1 million state loan
Emergency manager
"Our fiscal house is in disarray," Hinckley told the
She said the district has operated on an antiquated payroll system that dates back 30 years. Many of its functions are done manually, she said.
"We heard there was ghost employment, but you have to prove that," Hinckley said. "When we came, human resources didn't have control of payroll or benefits."
Creating a new payroll roster is a key objective, Hinckley said.
School board President
With money left from a previous state loan, Hinckley said, maintenance crews fixed leaky roofs and bathrooms and purchased toilet paper and soap. Money is also committed to fixing past fire code violations, noted in a recent inspection.
Hinckley said the district has lost about 500 to 600 students from last year. Its enrollment as of
"
It amounts to between
Part of the new loan money will go toward paying Cigna, the district's health insurance provider. The district's past debt to Cigna is between
State Sen.
"We cannot cut or loan our way out of this," Melton said. "We have to figure out a more proactive approach."
His comment brought a rebuke from state Rep.
He said the state has made a substantial investment to Gary by hiring the emergency manager for the next three years. Smith pegged the amount at
"That won't be reimbursed. All taxpayers in
Pastorek said one of the closed schools will serve as a depository for old textbooks and school records. He said transcripts at
As for academics, Hinckley said two schools are facing state takeover, and a team of retired educators were working with principals and teachers.
"We have five schools in one or more categories of single-digit achievement -- 95 percent didn't pass the state assessment," she said.
"It's a daunting task," Hinckley said. "However, we've found many, many people in Gary that want to find solutions and see the corporation improve."
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