Carlotta Blake-King

"There are some bills out there that is an attack on public education, on our teachers, on our staff," Hammond School Board President Carlotta Blake-King said during last week's meeting.

Outsourcing substitute teaching has helped the School City of Hammond increase fill rates, but the school board president wants more specifics if that arrangement is going to continue.

School City of Hammond appears to have stabilized its finances, but the school board has fired the chief financial officer who oversaw that process.

"It's not happening to us today, but certainly, if it passes, they can move that 50 percent to 40 percent to 30 percent, until they get us," Hammond School Board President Carlotta Blake-King said during Tuesday's school board meeting.

"This is a start, and that's what I want to make sure the community knows — that limited funding allows us to start this. As more funds are available, we can identify more areas," said Interim Superintendent Dr. Brent Wilson.

"It is not illegal because it's a supplemental payment," School Attorney Monica Conrad said. "Supplemental payments do not need to be negotiated."

The Hammond School Board has a new member. Current board members selected Tevonne Ellis to fill the roughly three months remaining in Lisa Miller's term.

"I've been on this board five years, and for five years, we have accepted the low increments of increasing in our kids' education," said school board member Carlotta Blake-King. "We have accepted it."

School City of Hammond continues shuffling teachers and support staff, as the new school year approaches.

Hammond School Board members' request for a forensic audit of the district's finances remains at a standstill.