State Senator Eddie Melton

Sen. Melton denies claim he will withdraw Gary charter school moratorium legislation

Contributed By:The 411 News

State Senator Eddie Melton is sticking with his legislation asking for a moratorium on charter schools in Gary.

"No matter what Gary Mayor Jerome Prince is claiming, I have not and will not pull my bill," Sen. Melton said.

On Thursday, Mayor Prince issued a press release on his plans to enter into a partnership with Purdue University and Indiana University to bring a new charter high school to Gary.

It included a statement that Sen. Melton agreed to withdraw his Senate bill. "On his WLTH radio show Friday, Senator Melton agreed to withdraw his Senate bill requesting a moratorium on charter schools in Gary if Purdue University would write a letter stating that it wants to open a polytechnic high school in Gary."

Also in the press release was a letter from Purdue University Polytechnic High School in Indianapolis regarding expansion to Gary.

Sen. Melton said he stated 3 conditions for withdrawing the moratorium legislation on his WLTH radio show.

"If I can see data from the Indiana Dept. of Education on Purdue's grades -- the same way we hold the Gary school corporation accountable. If I get a letter of commitment from Purdue saying that they want to do this."

Another condition Melton says must be met is for the community to weigh in. "Finally, I wanted to hear from the people of the City of Gary on this issue. If the community wants it, I will withdraw my bill."

While Purdue's letter does not commit to a high school in Gary, it states an interest in the future of education in Gary and being part of that future. "However, we want to stress that we are just beginning the process of exploring what that might be. No decisions have been made, and in fact, we will not make one until the outcome of the exit of the Gary Community School Corporation from state control has been determined."

Melton said in a release, “The statement that Purdue released was not a letter of commitment. It was a letter of interest that clearly omitted a commitment to the mayor’s charter school proposal from his State of the City address.”

The senator sees Purdue's letter as a contradiction to the mayor's announcement that a state-of-the-art school will be opening in the Fall of 2022 near the Indiana University Northwest Campus.

Melton said, “The mayor has either falsely characterized this initiative or has prematurely announced a project that neither institution has committed to. As we move forward, I would strongly urge the mayor to work towards being more inclusive and refrain from prematurely announcing projects prior to securing commitment from all parties involved.”

Story Posted:01/14/2021