With a week and a half still to go, the Gary Community School Corporation has received nearly 50 applications to serve on the Referendum Ambassador Committee.
More than 60 percent of Gary voters supported the referendum in November, giving their backing for more opportunities and support for students and the first raise for Gary teachers in more than a decade.
Now GCSC is fulfilling its commitment to create a Referendum Ambassador Committee, and residents are responding. The district has received 47 submissions since the application launched on January 5.
“We’re excited to see so many Gary residents stepping up and volunteering to serve their community,” said GCSC Manager Dr. Paige McNulty. “Every applicant is sending a message about their commitment to Gary’s children and their desire to help our schools continue to improve. We are grateful for the outpouring of support, and we look forward to partnering with the selected ambassadors to better serve our students.”
Committee members will be Gary residents, and the committee will report to the public on how referendum revenue is collected and spent. The volunteer committee will include representatives from the local business community, the faith-based community, elected officials, and labor groups, as well as students and parents and caregivers. The committee will be created in advance of the first referendum funds being received in June 2021.
As a reminder, here are the expectations for Referendum Ambassadors:
- There will be up to 24 Referendum Ambassadors.
- The Referendum Ambassadors must be Gary residents.
- Referendum Ambassadors will meet two times per year (in person or remotely) to monitor and report to the public on referendum revenue collected and how the money is being spent.
- The GCSC Manager and the Chief Financial Officer will lead Ambassador meetings.
- Applicants selected as Referendum Ambassadors may serve for up to eight years.
Referendum Ambassadors must agree to the committee objectives:
- Be a productive member and work as a team
- Commit to two meetings a year possibly remotely
- Learn and understand basic Indiana school finance principles
- Provide feedback to GCSC
- Review data provided by GCSC
- Share accurate information with the Gary and NWI community
The Referendum Ambassador Committee application is located here and on the district’s website at GarySchools.org. The deadline for application submission is February 1, 2021.