Gary to offer middle school option

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Dunbar Pulaski Middle School in Gary, Oct. 13, 2009. | Archive~Sun-Times Media

Updated: March 18, 2012 8:16AM

GARY — The school district is revamping its school alignments to appease parents and expand opportunities for students, officials said Thursday.

“We’re trying to offer choices to children,” Superintendent Myrtle Campbell said.

The School Board has agreed to reopen Dunbar-Pulaski Middle School for grades 7-8 in response to concerns from parents who didn’t want their children in a 7-12 grade setting.

“We’re kind of excited about this because parents have said they want this,” Campbell said.

About 400 children are expected at the newly named Dunbar-Pulaski Academic and Career Academy at 920 E. 19th Ave., Campbell said. It now serves as an alternative school.

Facing huge budget cuts in 2009, the district closed four middle schools and rolled seventh- and eighth-graders into Lew Wallace, Roosevelt and West Side high schools, which became “career academies” to increase interest in school and boost achievement.

“Some parents like 7-12,” Campbell said. “Initially, parents were concerned, but when they saw the students separated, we didn’t get a lot of complaints.”

School Board President Darren Washington said he never liked the 7-12 configuration, but the district needed to trim costs.

“Lots of parents contacted us and said they wanted their kids out of 7-12,” Washington said.

Enrollment has slipped to under 10,000 students, he said, and the school district is attempting to offer more choices to parents.

In addition to reopening Dunbar-Pulaski at 920 E. 19th Ave., students will have other options:

New Tech High at the Career Center for grades 9-10.

Banneker Achievement Center will include grades 6-8.

McCullough Academy for Girls will expand to grade 7.

Wirt Emerson Visual and Performing Arts Academy will shift to a grade 5-12 configuration.

The Lew Wallace STEM Academy and West Side Leadership Academy will continue to serve grades 7-12.

State sanctions took hold at Roosevelt when its academic performance didn’t improve. Next year, it will be removed from the school district and operated by state-appointed private turnaround agent EdisonLearning.

“Mainly, it’s a great idea to adhere to what parents wanted,” Washington said.

Campbell said open houses are being scheduled next week for parents to learn more about the changes.

Reach reporter Carole Carlson at 648-3154.