Board approves personnel report after dispute over certifications; public raises concerns about coaching hires

The School City of East Chicago Board of Trustees voted on July 22 to approve the personnel report after extended debate and public comment about staffing and certification. Trustee Rodriguez moved to approve the personnel report and Trustee Taylor seconded; the roll call on the motion recorded Trustee Rodriguez and Trustee Taylor voting yes and Trustee Gomez and Board President Gibson King voting no. Earlier a motion by Trustee Gomez to table the personnel report failed for lack of a second. Several public commenters urged careful vetting of coaches and staff and asked the board to prioritize student safety and qualifications before the school year begins. Ken Smith said he was concerned about allowing a coach with a felony conviction to work with students and asked trustees to reconsider hiring decisions. Coach Kenny Monroe described his long volunteer history working with district students and urged trustees to support experienced local mentors. Board attorney Attorney Harris told trustees there have been questions about certification sufficiency for some personnel and how long it would take certain candidates to obtain required credentials; he said some certification issues can take up to a year to resolve. Harris said an executive session on personnel is scheduled for July 24 to review outstanding certification and hiring issues so the board and administration can finalize staffing before school starts.