April 2, 2026 Town of Schererville Merit Board Meeting

The Town of Schererville Merit Board held a meeting on April 2, 2026, primarily focused on revising the merit board rules related to the firefighter hiring process. Key procurement-related discussions included setting passing scores for the general aptitude test components, establishing scoring and ranking criteria for oral interviews, and clarifying bonus points for paramedics, veterans, and lateral transfers. The board agreed to set a 70% passing average for the written and oral online tests and a 50% minimum passing score for the in-person oral interview. They also discussed terminating the current firefighter hiring list due to lack of qualified candidates and approved starting a new hiring list with applications open for 30 days. The board debated the possibility of an emergency lateral hire process to quickly fill unexpected vacancies but concluded that current merit board statutes do not allow exceptions to the regular hiring process. To address staffing needs, members considered increasing bonus points for paramedics and lateral transfers to prioritize qualified candidates on the hiring list. These changes aim to improve hiring efficiency and ensure the department is staffed with highly qualified personnel. A formal vote was taken to terminate the current list and to authorize the start of a new hiring process.