Red for Ed Action Day closes Gary school corporation on Tuesday

Contributed By:The 411 News

The Gary Community School Corporation will close schools Tuesday, November 19, 2019 during Red for Ed Action Day. The administration made the decision after determining that the anticipated amount of teachers slated to call off to attend the event may result in an unsafe environment for students.

“While we acknowledge that instruction is critical and the main reason we open our doors each day, the safety of our youth comes first,” said GCSC Emergency Manager Dr. Peter Morikis. “The availability of substitute staff would not be enough to cover the supervisory needs for each building, therefore, school will be canceled Tuesday.”

More than 13,000 people – the majority of them teachers – have registered to attend the Indiana State Teachers Association’s Red for Ed Action Day at the Indiana Statehouse . The state’s largest teachers union called on its members to take a personal day to lobby state lawmakers for better pay.

So many teachers requested the day off that districts across the state decided to close or call for an “e-learning day.” So far, 117 districts have opted to close.

Teachers are afforded personal days for which they can use for occasions of this nature. The administration stated that an additional day will be added to the school calendar to make up for the lost day of instruction.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this causes families,” added Morikis.

School officials will make every effort to inform parents of the closure via traditional media, robocalls, social media, email and the District’s website. Classes will resume at the regularly scheduled time on Wednesday.

Story Posted:11/17/2019