Board approves amended personnel report after trustees press for clarity on career-coaching grant
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Summary
Trustees amended and approved the personnel report after debate and public comment about two career-coaching stipend items linked to a K–12 career-coaching grant. Board members asked administration and the grant partner to present details at a future meeting.
The School City of East Chicago Board of Trustees amended and approved the personnel report after trustees moved to add two previously removed items (identified in the packet as items 26 and 27) and remove item 1 from the published personnel list. The board approved the amended personnel report in a roll-call vote.
Public commenter Helen Steinbach raised questions about two added personnel items tied to a career-coaching grant, citing the contract language and a newsletter from the grantor. Steinbach read from the original grant memo approved last August and said the memo authorized “$5,000 to be used for staff and student field experiences relating to college and career readiness and ... $10,000 to be utilized to pay a district career coach or coaches a stipend.” She asked the board how the stipend funds were distributed, how many students earned credentials, how many field trips occurred, and whether reporting requirements had been met.
Trustees said they had similar questions. Trustee Rodriguez asked administration to schedule a fuller presentation from the grant partner and for details about the funding source, the grant timeline and measurable outcomes. Trustee Gomez said the board’s policy committee is preparing templates and a process to ensure future grants and stipends come with defined reporting timelines and deliverables.
Superintendent Dr. Bornay confirmed the personnel items in question appear under “extra duties, compensation for staff” and said the board’s vote on the personnel report approves personnel items, including stipends listed in the packet; the discussion focused on the two specific stipend lines. Administrator responses indicated the grant runs through December 2025 and that the district is due to provide additional documentation on outcomes.
After discussion, Trustee Rodriguez moved to add items 26 and 27 to the personnel report and remove item 1; Trustee Gomez seconded the motion. The board approved the personnel report as amended on a roll-call vote.
Trustees requested administration and the grant partner present a full accounting of grant activities, including number of field trip experiences, micro-credentials issued to students, exact stipend recipients and remaining available funds. Several trustees also asked that the board’s policy committee produce a grant-reporting template to appear with future grant-related personnel items so the board can review deliverables before approving stipends.
