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Gary superintendent outlines $3.5 million in cuts and warns referendum, state bills could reduce $10 million
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Stokes told WLTH listeners the Gary Community School Corporation is planning roughly $3.5 million in annual reductions and cautioned that legislative changes affecting referendum revenue — about $10 million annually — could tighten finances further.
Dr. Yvonne Stokes, superintendent of the Gary Community School Corporation, said the district is preparing to reduce its budget by about $3,500,000 a year as it adapts to recent state-level changes.
"We are in a position where we will have to cut our budget," Stokes said, adding that the district currently relies on about $10,000,000 a year in referendum funding. "If in a couple years we did not pass and renew a referendum, that would be an additional $10,000,000." She cautioned that under new legislative guidelines a portion of referendum funds may have to be shared with charter schools.
Stokes said the district is also tracking state legislation closely; she told the host that on one occasion Gary asked legislators to oppose bills that would have forced the district to convert to a charter. "One of the bills was to force us to become a charter school," she said, and credited local legislators — naming Senator Mark Spencer — for engagement on those proposals.
As examples of cost pressures and potential savings, Stokes described the district's alternative-school program and transportation line items. The alternative program now runs from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at a cost she estimated at $72,000 a month; Stokes said moving some programming to align with regular bus routes could reduce that expense. She said the district is exploring transportation changes that could save about $11,200,000 and additional program or staffing changes that might save roughly $2,300,000.
Stokes emphasized she intends to preserve core services: "We still will provide outstanding support for our students. We just gotta look at ways to do it differently." She said many details remain under development and that the district will share confirmed plans when solidified.
The superintendent framed budget work as a districtwide effort and said she will seek collaboration with charter operators and community partners as the corporation updates messaging and planning around any future referendum. For now, Stokes said the district will continue to prioritize student needs while working to align its spending with new fiscal realities.
The conversation did not include any formal board votes or adopted fiscal measures; Stokes described planning and potential scenarios the district is pursuing.
