The state of Indiana took over Gary Community School Corporation in 2017 due to debt and failure to make payroll and maintain schools.

In 2017, IndyStar published an article highlighting contributing factors to why GCSC ended up roughly $100 million in debt. Some of those factors included fiscal mismanagement and enrollment decline.

Indiana’s Distressed Unit Appeals Board (DUAB), which provides guidance to schools and other government entities with financial issues, was put in charge of GCSC.

DUAB contracted MGT, a Florida-based consulting firm, to manage GCSC.

For the last few years, Dr. Paige McNulty has been the manager DUAB and MGT chose to manage GCSC. Her tenure ends June 30, 2023. Her successor will be Dr. Michael Raisor.

Senate Enrolled Act, signed into law this year, established an appointed five-member board to take over management of GCSC from DUAB in 2024. The list below shows who gets to appoint members to the board.

• Gary’s Mayor – 1
• Gary Common Council – 1
• Indiana Secretary of Education – 3

Some Gary residents have concerns about how MGT managed district funds, having an appointed board instead of an elected board, dismal academics, and the physical conditions of the school buildings. They traveled from Gary to Indianapolis to express their concerns at DUAB’s board meeting on Thursday, June 29.

During the public comment section of the meeting, attendees who signed up in advance were given three minutes to address the board.

Former correctional officer Nikki Byrd stated, “We traveled three hours only to get to speak for three minutes about our schools.” Byrd brought a purple binder full of her accolades, including a picture of her with former Governor Frank O’Bannon when she was invited to the Governor’s mansion. During her testimony, she noted that she had racked up more than 14,000 volunteer hours in GCSC and raised concerns about why she had been prevented from volunteering during the last two school years.

Robert L. Buggs, Sr. was a former member of the Gary Public Library Board of Trustees and former president of the Gary Community School Corporation Advisory Board. He has recently been embroiled in a lawsuit. Plaintiff Jacquese White, a Gary Public Library Board of Trustees member, filed a lawsuit stating she was illegally removed and her desire to be reinstated. 

Buggs brought several copies of the release and settlement agreement between White and GCSC to address this lawsuit. Buggs had highlighted sections of the settlement document that he distributed to attendees that he took offense to. One highlighted section was his removal.

“Upon execution of this Settlement Agreement, GCSC shall issue a written affirmation of the Plaintiff’s appointment to the Board of Trustees of the Gary Public Library and issue written notice to Robert L. Buggs, Sr. of his removal from the Board of Trustees of the Gary Public Library.”

During his testimony, he pointed out another area of offense, the fact that under Dr. Paige McNulty’s signature, it listed this document was on behalf of the former GCSC Advisory Board Members, and it listed his name. He asserted that this document falsely shows that he agreed to his removal.

Other testimony included concerns about the number of abandoned buildings and the crime that is happening within them. There were also concerns about the buildings that were being used. Several people testified with concerns about why GCSC doesn’t have a working pool for students to use.

Last, many people asserted there should be an independent audit to determine, in detail, how MGT spent district funds, especially since academics are still dismal under the state takeover.

According to the Indiana Graduate Prepared to Succeed dashboard, only 4.4% of students passed ILEARN math, 10% passed English/language arts, and 56.9% of third graders passed I-READ 3. 

Dr. Michael Raisor, who will take the charge of GCSC in July shared optimism about the progress of GCSC, which brought about murmurs, whispers, and scoffs from the audience.

Senator Eddie D. Melton whose district includes Gary attended via Zoom. He thanked attendees for traveling to Indy. He also used his time to repeat a concern shared by people who testified about how MGT used district finances. Melton said, “I do think it’s worth having an external audit.”

Paul Joyce, DUAB member, responded and said, “I can guarantee you there has been an audit performed…if you have questionable costs, that you know somebody used money for personal gain bring me those claims and I will look at them specifically. If they used them for personal gain. I will hold them accountable and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Just because you don’t like how somebody spent money doesn’t make it a questionable cost.”

Joyce’s responses to Melton and the audience led to more whispers in the audience.

After the meeting concluded, DUAB members spent time talking to those who gave public testimony.

Indy Kids Winning wants Gary kids to win, too. We will continue following this story.

Go to https://www.facebook.com/IndyKidsWinning to watch the passionate testimonies of concerned citizens.

If you are interested in sharing your perspective, please email connect@indykidswinning.com.