School City of Hammond

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.

"I'm appealing to the board to allow the union stewards and management to sit down and have a discussion about bringing some custodians back," said Service Employees International Union steward Larry Hardy.

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."

School City of Hammond's superintendent search is underway.

"I think you guys are well on your way to be one of the first schools in Indiana this year to have a contract settled," school attorney Monica Conrad told the school board Tuesday.

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."