Regular School Board Meeting: October 13, 2026

The School City of East Chicago’s regular School Board meeting was held October 13, 2026. At a public hearing on the proposed 2027 budget, the board reviewed approximately $33 million for the Education Fund, $17.3 million for the Operations Fund, and $4.8 million for Debt Service. The budget was not adopted; a second reading and vote were planned for October 27. The presentation anticipated a state-authorized 6% increase in the operations-fund property-tax levy, while estimating the district would receive about $8 million, similar to the current year, after tax-cap effects. A new bond was expected to add roughly six cents per $100 of assessed value to the debt-service rate. The board announced a public financial workshop for October 22.

The board approved a memorandum of understanding with Northshore Clinic to provide an East Chicago-based clinic for district employees, and a performance contract with Energy Systems Group to replace lighting at Central High School. It also approved an extension of the facilities-management contract at the same rate as the existing agreement; the discussion cited an October 22 expiration date. The board considered the 2025–26 administrator salary schedule, with the recorded vote unclear in the transcript. Lincoln School’s floor-replacement project was discussed under a later agenda item, but the transcript does not capture enough of the item or its vote to confirm the action taken. No contract amounts were stated for the clinic, energy, or facilities-management agreements.