HAMMOND, Ind. — More than 1,100 elementary school students in Northwest Indiana don’t yet know where they’ll be attending classes next year after the school board voted Tuesday night to close three area schools, according to a report by the Northwest Indiana Times.
The closure of Lew Wallace School, Morton Elementary School and Kenwood Elementary School will save the Northwest Indiana community around $5.6 million, according to Supt. Scott Miller, the report says.
Trustees approved the consolidation plan in a three-to-two vote.
Instead of classes, Wallace and Morton schools will primarily be used for early childhood services, according to the report. Kenwood Elementary will mostly be used for storage, the passed resolution said.
Impacted families will be notified of the school their child will attend in the fall. The community’s remaining schools, except for Franklin, will absorb students, according to the report.
About 100 parents, teachers and members from SEIU Local 73 gathered in protest to the planned closure prior to the vote, the report says.
The report also details the district’s financial situation that has already prompted layoffs and a cut to transportation services. The district has closed five other schools in the past five years.
Separately, all Hammond schools were closed Wednesday “due to excessive call-offs.” Learning will be made up at a future date, the district said in an announcement on Facebook.
