EAST CHICAGO — As East Chicago school leaders review their budget and the fallout from lead problems in the West Calumet community, they are looking at ways to cut costs without hurting the academic program.
East Chicago schools Superintendent Paige McNulty said at last count, the district has lost 420 students, and she expects to lose another 50 students before school starts in August.
"We have called the students’ parents who are coming here from out of district right now, and they plan on enrolling in their new district for this coming school year," she said.
"They just wanted to finish out the previous school year with us. By the time school starts, we expect to lose about 470 kids in total."
As a result, the new Carrie Gosch Elementary School at 4001 Indianapolis Blvd. will become a pre-K center. It will be renamed the Carrie Gosch Early Childhood Center and will cater to preschool children ages 3 to 5 years old.
McNulty said the district received a $2.8 million disaster relief loan last fall, which was used to update the new Carrie Gosch building. She said they will need to spend a little more money to put in smaller bathrooms and sinks for pre-K children when it opens in the fall.
The school district will offer a full- and half-day preschool option for parents.
The superintendent said about 150 elementary-aged children who were at Carrie Gosch will be sent to McKinley and Harrison elementary schools, and both buildings will be kindergarten through sixth grade.
Changes with Field, Lincoln schools
In December, McNulty worked out a deal with East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland to trade the formerly shuttered Field Elementary School at 4551 Block Ave. for Lincoln Elementary School, 2001 E. 135th St.
McNulty said at the time that Field was a nicer, newer building than Lincoln. "It has an auditorium and newer facilities. Lincoln needed more than $1 million worth of renovation. At Field, the kids will have a much nicer space to learn and grow. Lincoln and Field are within blocks of each other. The 325 students at Lincoln will be transferred to Field in the fall," McNulty said then.
The city plans to demolish the Lincoln building.
The superintendent said the city has maintained the Field building. She said it needs only minor upkeep and upgrades to the information technology system and the kitchen before it reopens in the fall. She said the school district also intends to bring in extra crossing guards for students and add new lighting and signage.
McNulty said there are no changes at the middle and high school levels.
McNulty's efforts pay off
McNulty went to Indianapolis time and again over the school year talking to legislators about the West Calumet area's lead problems and its effect on the district.
In addition to the disaster loan, McNulty asked the Legislature to hold the district harmless regarding enrollment, which required legislative action. That meant she wanted the district to receive state funding as though Carrie Gosch were operating at full enrollment.
Language holding the School City of East Chicago harmless was included in the Senate version of House Bill 1001, the two-year state budget. The state will use the district's 2015-16 student count for 2016-17 and for 2017-18.
Once that ends July 1, 2018, East Chicago school leaders estimate they'll lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.
McNulty has proposed 112 layoffs, but the board has not yet approved the layoff list.
"We've had four people retire, and we're not cutting any programs right now," she said. "This is the first layer of layoffs. The board and I may have to look at that next school year. We'll have to look at everything we need to do to keep the budget balanced."
McNulty said the board has not hired a facilities director yet and the position is still open. She said the district is trying to sell or lease the old Carrie Gosch school building at 455 E. 148th St., which was closed due to lead problems in the West Calumet area, and to sell the old administration building at 1100 W. Columbus Drive.
