Five Gary Public Schools Targeted For Closure
GARY, Ind. (CBS) -- Five public schools in Gary could be closed next month, under a tentative plan to be presented to the board for a vote as soon as next week.
CBS 2's Courtney Gousman reports Brunswick, Bailly, and Wesbster elemenraries; Dunbar-Pulaski Middle School; and the Lincoln-Achievement Center, a small school for special needs students in grades K through 12, are being considered for closure.
Earlier this week, Gary Community School Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Pruitt said a quarter of Gary's 16 public schools could be closed, but now that number is closer to a third.
Pruitt said closing those schools would save the district $17 million to $20 million in staff costs alone.
The school closings would mean moving nearly 1,600 students to new schools.
Parents of Webster Elementary students said conditions at this school have been deteriorating for a while.
"I think it's ridiculous, but he's going to be going to a better school," Amber Harvey said.
Tajuana Taylor said she's glad her kids will be leaving Webster.
"I think Webster has gone down," she said. "There's no nurses here … everyday. There's no assistant principal to help the principal out when the kids are out of hand. "
Pruitt said a public meeting on this matter will be scheduled for next week. The school board's final vote on the plan will soon follow that meeting.
