Board approves grants, internships and HVAC bid; interlocal agreement tabled

The School City of East Chicago board voted April 14 to approve multiple grant awards, internship programs, contracts and the Phase 1 bid for Central High School HVAC, while tabling an interlocal agreement with the City of East Chicago.

Key votes at a glance - Item 6.01 — Title I grant award: motion made by VP Rodriguez, second by Secretary Smith; roll call recorded 'yes' votes and the grant award was approved. - Item 6.02 — Guaranteed energy savings project: motion by Secretary Smith; approved by roll call. - Item 6.03 — E-rate bids for 2026–27: approved after motion and second; roll call recorded approvals. - Item 6.04 — Summer internship (print shop): approved by roll call. - Item 6.05 — Memorandum of understanding with SEIU for paraprofessional summer staffing: moved by Trustee Gomez, second by VP Rodriguez; approved by roll call. - Item 6.06 — Summer internship (applied skills): approved by roll call. - Item 6.08 — Title II grant award: approved by roll call. - Item 6.09 — Professional development requests: approved after discussion about a multilingual special education virtual conference; staff said the grant likely funded a director and cross-training. - Item 6.10 (facility inventory and staffing analysis): Trustee Gomez moved for approval; Trustee Gibson King abstained and one trustee recorded a 'no' during roll call; remaining trustees recorded 'yes' votes. The transcript records an abstention by Gibson King and a subsequent 'no' vote from a trustee during roll call. - Item 6.11 — Interlocal agreement with the City of East Chicago: the board moved to table the item because the board attorney was absent; the motion to table passed by roll call and the item will return at the next meeting. - Item 6.12 — First reading for policy changes (retirement PO4415, holidays PO4434, school calendar PO8210): board approved the first reading; Dr. Bornay summarized clarifying language for retirement calculations, holiday eligibility for 11- and 12-month employees, and alignment with Indiana code on school days. - Item 6.13 — Personnel report and tutoring assignments: approved; trustees clarified the district will use its own curriculum and teachers for tutoring rather than the previously considered outside vendor. - Item 6.14 — Bid approval for Phase 1 Central High School HVAC: motion by Secretary Smith, seconded by VP Rodriguez; roll call recorded 'yes' votes and the bid was approved.

Several items were handled on the consent agenda and passed unanimously by roll call. For items decided by formal motion, the clerk called roll and trustees' votes were recorded in the transcript. For the facility inventory and staffing analysis project the transcript records Trustee Gibson King saying "Abstain" and another trustee later saying "no" during the roll-call exchange; the motion nonetheless moved forward.

The interlocal agreement with the city was tabled in the absence of the board attorney and must be placed on the next meeting agenda by policy.