Several speakers who commented Wednesday on the Gary Community School Corp.’s proposed $76 million 2025 budget wanted school officials to include a swimming pool for the West Side Leadership Academy.
Board members did not respond to the comments and will consider adoption of the budget and a $1.8 million capital projects plan at their Oct. 9 meeting. The bulk of the spending is targeted for Banneker at Marquette Elementary, which has been troubled by electrical and HVAC issues.
It marks the district’s first budget established under local control since 2017. An appointed school board and superintendent gained governing authority July 1.
“We have a golf team without a golf course, and a swim team without a swimming pool. Give us a budget that’s there for our children,” said Tracy Coleman, whose son graduated from West Side.
“The budget doesn’t include a pool, but does include a vestibule for security,” said former school advisory board member Robert Buggs of the $200,000 in the capital projects fund earmarked for the replacement of two security vestibules at West Side.
“I think a pool is more important than a vestibule for security,” Buggs said.
“It’s ludicrous we don’t have a pool,” said Michaela Spangenberg of the Gary Education Coalition.
“We still have children dying in the lake because they don’t know how to swim.”
She also said the school board should be mindful of preparing for a referendum extension vote when its $72.1 million referendum expires in four years.
“Are we preparing for a referendum, or will we make the same mistake Hammond did?” she asked, referring to last year’s Hammond voter rejection of a referendum extension.
School officials rely primarily on the $10.5 million received annually from the referendum fund to support its operations fund said financial advisor Steve Dalton, of Cender and Dalton. The fund is based on local property taxes and finances transportation, capital projects, administrative salaries and the day-to-day operation of buildings.
In 2010, state lawmakers placed permanent caps on property taxes giving homeowners more certainty but leaving schools and municipalities unable to capture revenue over the caps. For Gary, Dalton said it meant a loss this year of $26.6 million.
The district can also shore up its operations fund by transferring up to 15% from the education fund, Dalton said. Several districts rely on the transfers.
Dalton said the city’s tax collection rate was projected at 78% and attempts should be made to improve it.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
