Hammond school day canceled after teachers call off in protest of school closures, layoffs

Kenwood Elementary first grader De’Janae Steel, flanked by her dad and two friends, tells the School City of Hammond Board of Trustees what she thinks of its cost-cutting measures. The board voted 3-2 to close three schools, including Kenwood, and shed 173 employees at its April 23 meeting.

“The safety of our students is always our highest priority, and it was not possible to provide adequate supervision for our students. Canceling school for the day was our only option,” Petraits said. “It is our belief that children need to be in school whenever reasonably possible. The protest came hours after the board, at its April 23rd meeting, voted 3-2, with Trustees Carlotta Blake-King and Kelly Spencer voting against, to close Kenwood Elementary, 6416 Hohman Ave.; Lew Wallace Elementary at 6235 Jefferson Ave.; and Morton Elementary, 7006 Marshall Ave., in the city’s Hessville neighborhood.

By shedding of 13 administrators, eight building administrators, five health aides, 40 custodians, 30 clerical staff, 38 support staff, four IT people, six craft/transportation people and all 15 positions paid for with ESSER II money, the district will save an additional $10,284,454, he said. SCH started letting people go in February and will continue to do so until July, according to his presentation.

“You’re never going to hear me blame the parents. If anything, we didn’t get enough people to the polls. But this is not something anyone wanted to do — we had to get staffing in line with what we can afford.” Jamaica Sawyers, a special-education teacher at Frank O’Bannon Elementary, said every school she attended in Hammond is now closed.

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