Crown Point board approves grants, accepts donation and advances personnel reductions after tense consent-agenda debate

The Crown Point Board of School Trustees on Nov. 24 approved applications to accept federal and state grants totaling $286,186.16, accepted a $7,400 donation for the high school Best Buddies program and advanced a consent agenda that includes several personnel reductions that drew vocal dissent from one board member.

The board unanimously approved a Title II, Part A grant application for $164,605.88 to fund professional development, stipends and expanded blended-learning support, and cleared Title III and Title IV grant applications of $35,624 and $48,456.28, respectively, that administrators said will fund interventionists, paraprofessionals, family-engagement programming and technology initiatives. The board also accepted a competitive Indiana Department of Education STEM Integration award of $37,500 to purchase computer-science licenses, Sam Labs kits and provide STEM professional development. "This shows a lot of effort by our staff and it's great to see that we were awarded the STEM grant," an administrator said.

The consent agenda included the personnel list that administration presented as reductions or role changes: items identified for elimination or reduction included Birth-to-School paraprofessional roles, elementary and middle-school RTI paraprofessionals, several Crown Point High School support positions (study halls, attendance liaison, weight-room paraprofessional, graduation coaches/hours reduced, credit-recovery and interventionist roles) and others. A board member who opposed the consent agenda argued the cuts violate prior "guardrails" the board set to protect direct student services and said, "my vote's gonna be no on this" without additional qualitative evidence and work sessions. The board rejected that objection and approved the consent agenda 3–1; the transcript records that one board member (Mr. Bassett) dissented.

Administrators told the board the district intends to preserve the services students receive even as some individual positions are eliminated or reduced. "They still are gonna be receiving these services," an administrator said, explaining that some duties will be absorbed by remaining interventionists and other staff and that some roles had already been unfilled earlier in the year. The administration also noted some positions had reduced hours rather than being eliminated.

During the meeting the board also read resolutions recognizing Taft Middle School's Spell Bowl team for winning Lake County's regional competition and named Crossroads Regional Chamber "Inspiring Educator" finalists and winners from across the district. Coach Nati, speaking for Taft, said the team studied "1,400" words across languages and praised students' work.

What happens next: items approved on the consent agenda and the grants will move forward per standard administrative processes; administrators said they will continue to monitor service delivery and may return to the board with adjustments if needed. The board ended the meeting with routine director reports and Thanksgiving remarks and adjourned following a final vote.