Board removes one involuntary transfer, approves personnel report and amends some administrator contracts

The School City of East Chicago Board of Trustees voted on personnel items June (public meeting) to remove one involuntary transfer from the personnel report and then approved the personnel report as amended.

The board first voted 3–2 to remove item 9 (an involuntary transfer) from the published personnel report; Trustees Gomez, Smith and President Gibson King voted to remove the item while Trustees Rodriguez and Taylor voted no. The board subsequently approved the personnel report as amended by unanimous roll call.

The action followed extended discussion about staffing and the district’s transfer process. Ms. Gutierrez, the district HR director, told trustees that the district had set an April 15 deadline for voluntary transfer requests; after that date, vacancies are filled by involuntary transfer because the voluntary-transfer window had closed. She said the administration had consulted with union leaders and principals and that additional involuntary-transfer notifications could appear on future personnel reports.

Trustees also debated nurse staffing levels. Miss Simmons, executive director of business operations, told the board they currently have "a total of 3 at Central,…