GARY, Ind. (WLS) — It’s a brand new day for the Gary, Ind. public school district, which had been under the control of the state for the past seven years.
West Side Leadership Academy is the city’s only remaining non-charter public high school. While high school freshmen are getting acquainted with their new building, behind the scenes there is a lot of foundational work still being done at the Gary Community Schools Corporation.
“We’re coming off seven years of takeover by the state and a firm that was operating. So we are literally building the plane while we are flying it,” said Dr. Yvonne Stokes, superintendent.
Back in 2017, the sate took control of Gary’s public schools which, at the time, were over $20 million in debt. Today the district’s finances are in a much better place, but their biggest challenge remains: how to stop students from leaving the district.
According to the Indiana …