[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6006024,"mediaKeyId","5829324-6c98206a434596544ec549e3a289384e","parentId",5829324,"title","Board approves series of service renewals and MOUs; administration says it will not recommend Sylvan districtwide","audioSeconds",1545,"startMs",4510000,"endMs",6055000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5829324-6c98206a434596544ec549e3a289384e&start=4510&end=6055","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5829324-6c98206a434596544ec549e3a289384e/thumbnail_4510000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6006024/Indiana/Board-approves-series-of-service-renewals-and-MOUs-administration-says-it-will-not-recommend-Sylvan-districtwide","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6006024-a8d34a9a7f6b0800dd5088d82a219a2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775218473&Signature=jhWckp9Ix643mMK3suv3ZB1BRfhnNJe9gwnfJnBukkYkoS6yzD~1Zqgqk8ed~y3U7j9-gKk7TwZqQoL9ZYQarPDdcPQgc0~z4YxAicx2IIjtieLyJ7MK2GdfDaImRI42WT75rJBfBgdtJhstKkEI1UpKdzjY9oKrI45GDQQ9suUv60d3nskYVOsPj0W7I0OY~brvWTNzU7zCPZgu0qbDvnpZpRhgYOc3wrubK7SFlk266i4Lx4DLdicySTu99FH1GtYGYnb4Lx99Rj~W9umW1~nJRhOR5Zs-4GRV5Wc77RNCxHv5hI-9caj0zen4xcbTa5hJ7mrxfgqbVvVgg~Zkkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","School City of East Chicago","date","2025-07-08T00:00:00Z","article","The School City of East Chicago Board of Trustees approved multiple contract renewals and memoranda of understanding at its July 8 meeting for the 2025–26 school year, including speech services, STARBASE programming, occupational therapy, deaf services, an alumni MOU and counseling services.

Actions and approvals: On roll call the board approved the following items presented on the agenda: speech services contract renewal with Parallel Learning (5.02); a memorandum of understanding with STARBASE (5.03); an MOU with East Chicago Central Alumni (5.04); non‑certified employee agreements (5.05); occupational therapy renewal (5.06); deaf services contract with Tradewinds (5.07); the IEP-writing contract (5.08, covered separately) and Infinity Counseling renewal (5.11). Trustees also approved a first reading of a draft policy on artificial intelligence (agenda item 5.09).

Silver/Sylvan tutoring: The meeting included discussion of Sylvan Learning Center (listed on the agenda for private-school tutoring at St. Stan’s). Superintendent Dr. Bonet said the district would not be recommending Sylvan for district tutoring next year; nonpublic schools may continue to access title funds for outside providers.

Infinity Counseling: Staff described Infinity Counseling as an established provider that places counselors in district schools; staff said the counseling is provided at no cost to the district unless a student requires paid day treatment services (district share reported by staff as approximately $75 per day when placement is needed). Trustees approved the renewal on roll call.

Why it matters: The renewals preserve in-school support services — speech, occupational therapy, counseling and deaf services — that the district said serve students with specialized needs. Trustees requested follow-up on internal controls for donations in the alumni MOU and on program outcome data for vendors previously hired for tutoring.

Administration follow-up: Attorney Harris and district staff agreed to report back on internal controls related to alumni donations and record-keeping for third-party providers. Superintendent said program-renewal outcomes (for example for Sylvan) will be presented in a future work session when the full set of program renewal data is available.

Ending: With the renewals approved, the district’s contracted providers will continue services for the coming school year; trustees asked for additional outcome data and internal-control procedures on some items at a follow-up work session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular School Board Meeting - July 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Trustees approved multiple contract renewals and MOUs July 8 to continue speech, occupational, deaf and counseling services and several educational partnerships for 2025–26.","taxTitle","School City of East Chicago, School Boards, Indiana","taxId",46609,"location","Indiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6006029,"Trustees press administration over unidentified invoices, conference reimbursements and vendor listings",481,1030000,1511000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5829324-6c98206a434596544ec549e3a289384e&start=1030&end=1511","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5829324-6c98206a434596544ec549e3a289384e/thumbnail_1030000.jpg","/articles/6006029/Indiana/Trustees-press-administration-over-unidentified-invoices-conference-reimbursements-and-vendor-listings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6006029-de0ea6e112fa3ae40f8a28a791d359b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775218473&Signature=m34l7uFElshtMlvOEVjXtza2yPNQn7epfnj~kSoSXr7d0P8aKxXgo7up6vx83xk7m9KIIzaxDTWw5iu338I2cqKjSR9aj9sngThX-SNYEJI89AmEZL9QkXRienrcpM-xrH5q7Mf6b1btfitnUdPyTAx1nLkjzHUA9nMlOC3AMhRKlH7dzCn7SWCt~HNhliSd5EcqmxlG8aGFYrsaeirZZ9IGUi9jinVhP115~1xILVU54gtKh1UB4j8nRGU7ddM~0R5ZLYP1IPvAEGuTbSbr-5GLdPuUJN8pl3Arjduwx7tiEKRf5lyqQT0i3Gq~-vqWO6IIAlkiyrK-VvnjGNWOoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Trustees at the School City of East Chicago July 8 meeting spent extensive time reviewing the claim docket and invoices, pressing the administration for details about conferences, reimbursements and vendor listings that appeared without participant names or adequate explanation.

Trustee Diane Smith and Trustee Gomez questioned multiple entries: a June 15–18 CertiPort conference in Texas paid from Perkins funds (claim numbers discussed included 118083 and 87303), a hotel/reservation under a single attendee name though multiple staff attended, reimbursements coded simply as “reimbursement” without purpose, and items labeled as medical testing reimbursements. Business office staff and Mr. Pena (accounts/finance staff) were asked to supply invoices and claim-docket references for each questioned entry.

Trustees also asked about background-check services; an invoice (claim 87832) was described in the meeting as the district’s annual Safe Hiring Solutions vendor fee. Other clarifications included purchases for community engagement supplies (claim 87746), monthly payments to Communities In Schools site coordination (claim 87767) and career-coaching supplies paid from a $5,000 grant (Fund172-5).

Why it matters: Trustees said they need clear documentation to ensure grant funds are used properly and to provide public transparency for district spending. Several trustees requested more detailed invoice descriptions (for example, labeling reimbursements as “medical reimbursement” or “mileage reimbursement”) and asked that the business office attach supporting invoices to the claim docket.

Administration response and follow-up: Staff said they would follow up with the requested invoices and provide claim-docket numbers. For the CertiPort conference, the administration identified three attendees: Katrina Alexander, Mrs. McGee and Ms. Stovall; staff said one attendee (who made the reservations) appeared as the named contact on the pre-run docket. On a separate procurement matter, trustees were told Stone Group final bills were on the docket and that Precision Controls is providing ongoing HVAC controls support after the Stone Group contract ended.

Ending: Trustees asked the administration to supply invoices, attach purchaser names to claim-docket items and label reimbursements for future packets so the board can perform routine fiscal oversight.","Board members asked for clarification of multiple claim-docket items July 8 — including conference reimbursements appearing without participant names, a June CertiPort conference billed to Perkins funds, reimbursements for medical testing, and a background-check vendor invoice — and asked staff to provide invoices and claim numbers for review.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6006033,"District approves temporary IEP-writing contract as Indiana moves records to PowerSchool IEP",522,3053000,3575000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5829324-6c98206a434596544ec549e3a289384e&start=3053&end=3575","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5829324-6c98206a434596544ec549e3a289384e/thumbnail_3053000.jpg","/articles/6006033/Indiana/District-approves-temporary-IEP-writing-contract-as-Indiana-moves-records-to-PowerSchool-IEP","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6006033-2ff51faf873c2e46b32f6cca58deee34/orig.mp4?Expires=1775218473&Signature=X8-zHiMQCZuFnt11BROfILNHERXBBXzq7~IVAHxXG3b04WgE8ySBNMC4fIKgfKsbSL4r-X23KFkOvgoBqrUD-MUIYaW1bl~t16~xcguomffkh~oaPaJ7btTx6rk4TUHlsRKIYIRu2q15M3UFBOawQ1IkqQn71hO5qur-B4OQ92G8n6l74nqkSBtqopJZukLlAmn8mrDYE1zXS2bsJGvKK2qASabzcfHIbQo6wLfepTG-oS1pFe5oZSxjVwQMDqn0Kd8st2JlRdpFlqyKwcCaapwuqoYGzuRR40jrByR-D-3Cy7NlW~hixKf4ABS41OS~sJ1ZmiX~gPIF-Q7clsbmdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The School City of East Chicago Board of Trustees approved a one-year contract July 8 to purchase IEP-writing support as the Indiana Department of Education transitions student special-education records to PowerSchool IEP.

Special-education and technology staff told trustees the state’s migration dumped files into the new system rather than mapping each field, which requires teachers of record to transfer or rewrite many elements of prior IEPs in the new platform. District technology manager Miss Johnson described the change as a “massive undertaking” that will require teacher time and district support.

To ease the transition, the board approved a contract (agenda item 5.08) for a retired special-education teacher to assist with writing and migrating records for the 2025–26 school year. The contract covers up to 146 IEPs and is not to exceed $21,900 for the year; speakers said the arrangement is intended as a one-year bridge while teachers receive training and the district stands up internal “super-user” supports.

Why it matters: IEPs are legal documents that set special-education services for students. District staff said the statewide move to PowerSchool IEP will require substantial data work and training; trustees approved temporary outside help to reduce service interruptions for students and to support new teachers.

Board action: Trustee Gomez made the motion to approve the contract; Trustee Rodriguez seconded. The roll-call vote recorded the contract renewal as approved.

Administration’s plan: Staff said the hired specialist will assist new teachers, support migration into PowerSchool and help complete case-conference paperwork. The district said PowerSchool will provide statewide trainers but that local ‘‘super-user’’ capacity will also be needed. The contract is a one-year renewal and staff said they do not expect it to be required the following year once teachers are trained and the migration is complete.

Ending: Trustees approved the contract and directed SPED and technology staff to proceed with training and migration work so teachers can access accurate IEPs at the start of the school year.","Trustees approved a limited contract to assist with Individualized Education Program (IEP) migration and writing after the state’s new PowerSchool IEP rollout required districts to re-enter data; district staff said the one-year contract covers up to 146 IEPs at a cost not to exceed $21,900.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6006038,"East Chicago board rejects personnel report after trustees raise transparency and hiring concerns",1397,3084000,4481000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5829324-6c98206a434596544ec549e3a289384e&start=3084&end=4481","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5829324-6c98206a434596544ec549e3a289384e/thumbnail_3084000.jpg","/articles/6006038/Indiana/East-Chicago-board-rejects-personnel-report-after-trustees-raise-transparency-and-hiring-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6006038-4f668171bc7090748a4c60398bdcca45/orig.mp4?Expires=1775218473&Signature=iW7usZsFroVxJ36rM-dsRJgqnRUTby79r413TCE7aBdEu21zeHgwlPuhk95vcWyvQjjRwwvn4qJzby4HKx9JGUezSjKpQxMzBdiGIa6P8qClRDHktEislzZFwti4kM9KvNdywloXbWtrqCjUp9KPDox4W-ESsAPVARRC063bGDU2-dKpminQrSJx4XW01tXkRVkw9E2OAUIRubRh8f-DrONEosNnohOWPCciC7gCIrqTe~KCSevepTWdWgpR5S9VD0Q1konlkAKTWtSmf6m7HWv~x9EXSAPX4MkdW5oCTq7GIOT7RcjkXvtoeCF0qasxfqYjObxB30670kTPwqLqiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The School City of East Chicago Board of Trustees voted on July 8 to reject the personnel report on the meeting agenda after trustees raised questions about missing names, hiring procedures and whether the board received required documentation.

Trustees convened at the district administration building and debated the personnel packet before a roll-call vote. Trustee Diane Smith and several colleagues asked for details about interview committees, licensing and experience for a promoted employee; Attorney Harris and Superintendent Dr. Bonet acknowledged the board’s policy requires an unredacted personnel listing and said the administration would replace the document on the public board portal.

The vote on the personnel report was called after a motion to approve the full personnel report and a second. President Gibson King cast a dissenting vote during roll call; the board secretary stated that the tally produced a failed approval.

Why it matters: Personnel approvals determine who holds day-to-day operational leadership in schools and who is placed in positions that affect instruction, special programs and grants. Trustees said they could not make an informed decision without names, interview reports and evidence that applicants met license or certification requirements.

Board discussion and context: Trustee Smith said the board needed specifics before approving a high-profile position, asking whether a committee interviewed the candidate, how the person scored in interviews, how many years of experience they had, whether the state requires a license for the post and what measurable impact the person produced in prior roles. Smith asked that HR provide those answers before the board votes.

Trustee Gibson King and other trustees pressed for enforcement of the board’s transparency policy requiring personnel names to be available to the public prior to the meeting; Attorney Harris advised the board that the policy’s intent was to provide unredacted personnel listings and that the current public packet did not comply.

Superintendent Dr. Bonet told the board the administration would update board docs once the approved personnel report replaces the current posting and said the district would follow policy moving forward.

Action taken: A motion to approve the full personnel report failed on roll call. Separately, trustees sought to table a single promotion for more detailed consideration and to take the matter up in a follow-up session; the board directed staff to provide the requested documentation and hold further discussion in a work session or executive session as appropriate.

Next steps: Trustees asked for a follow-up meeting to review the promotion and for HR to deliver names, interview records and licensing documentation in advance. Multiple trustees said they want a special or work session to avoid repeating last-minute disclosures at regular meetings.

Ending: The board moved on to other agenda items after the vote. Trustees set a follow-up schedule so the personnel questions could be addressed before any replacement approvals are considered again.","The School City of East Chicago Board of Trustees voted down the June/July personnel report July 8 after trustees said the packet lacked required names and raised questions about hiring, interviews and qualifications; the board tabled discussion of one promotion for further review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves series of service renewals and MOUs; administration says it will not recommend Sylvan districtwide

Trustees press administration over unidentified invoices, conference reimbursements and vendor listings

District approves temporary IEP-writing contract as Indiana moves records to PowerSchool IEP

East Chicago board rejects personnel report after trustees raise transparency and hiring concerns