The city that pioneered a modern public school system model, later adopted by many other US cities, may be dissolved by the State of Indiana. Concerns grow as this effort could also set a precedent for public education across the nation. If passed, the bill would mandate the conversion of 68 public schools across the five Indiana school districts into charter schools by July 1, 2028.
The Indiana Legislation, HB 1136, would turn public schools into charter schools in districts where 50% or more of the students are enrolled in charter schools. The state would prioritize schools with the lowest performance on students’ state assessments for the transition.
The bill would dissolve the Gary Community School Corporation along with the school districts of Indianapolis (the state's largest), Tri-Township Consolidated Schools in LaPorte County, Union Schools southeast of Muncie, and Cannelton City Schools in southern Indiana near the Kentucky border.
Republican representatives in very conservative Indiana are sponsoring House Bill 1136. The General Assembly's 2025 session began Wednesday, January 8.
Has the Ban on Public Schools Begun?
William A. Wirt founded and developed the Gary School System in 1906. The Gary Plan focused on a Work-Study-Play model or Platoon Schools and aimed to develop students' mental, social, cultural, and physical abilities.
Gary also has the distinction of being one of the first cities in the state to have charter schools. While some parents welcomed the addition of options, teachers and some local officials were concerned about the erosion of the public system.
Gary saw its first charter school in 2005. According to the Indiana Department of Education, the Gary public schools currently have 4,100 enrolled students, which is only 35% of the 11,764 school-aged children within the city. With competition from charter and private schools and depopulation, enrollment for public schools has dropped an astonishing 73% over the last twenty years.
In 1929, 202 cities had adopted the Gary model. However, by the 1940s, the system and others shifted away from that model. Parents and stakeholders will now have to watch the movement of HB 1136 to see if there will be public education in the City of Gary in 2028.
Gary also has the distinction of being one of the first cities in the state to have charter schools. While some parents welcomed the addition of options, teachers and some local officials were concerned about the erosion of the public system.
Gary saw its first charter school in 2005. According to the Indiana Department of Education, the Gary public schools currently have 4,100 enrolled students, which is only 35% of the 11,764 school-aged children within the city. With competition from charter and private schools and depopulation, enrollment for public schools has dropped an astonishing 73% over the last twenty years.
In 1929, 202 cities had adopted the Gary model. However, by the 1940s, the system and others shifted away from that model. Parents and stakeholders will now have to watch the movement of HB 1136 to see if there will be public education in the City of Gary in 2028.
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