More than a month after a violent August storm flooded Lincoln Elementary School, students remain split between Washington Elementary and Block Junior High while the district works toward a return. Parents are seeking a specific timeline, but school officials have so far offered an October target rather than a firm reopening date.
The disruption began with the August 11 derecho, a severe storm system that brought destructive straight-line winds and spawned tornadoes across northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana, according to the National Weather Service. ABC7 Chicago reported that damage to Lincoln forced students into other buildings, leaving them divided between Washington Elementary and Block Junior High for weeks.
The storm's reach went well beyond one school building, with prolonged power outages reported across the region. A federal disaster declaration was later approved for Northwest Indiana, opening FEMA individual and public assistance programs for storm-related property damage and emergency recovery, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security; ABC7 Chicago has reported separately.
Flooded Systems Leave Building Unsafe
The reported damage includes flooded mechanical rooms and problems with Lincoln’s HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. ABC7 Chicago reported that parent Pattie Jo Gibson-King described standing water and mold in the building and said the school had been in poor condition before the storm. She also said families still lacked a clear timeline for returning to their classrooms.
ABC7 Chicago also reported concerns from parent Ajira Johnson about the confusion the sudden relocation caused for her kindergarten-age son. Jesse Gomez said limited information from the district made it difficult for families to get answers and described the disruption as especially difficult for an already underserved community. He also pointed to the strain on Lincoln staff working in another building.
District Points to October Target
Superintendent Stephen Bournes said the district is still assessing the full scope of the storm damage and will not commit to a firm return date until construction is confirmed complete. He told the outlet that he expects Lincoln students and staff to return sometime in October, a target also noted by School City of East Chicago. The district has identified damage to the electrical and HVAC systems, along with indoor-air-quality concerns.
Lincoln Elementary students are scheduled for e-learning today, Wednesday, as in-person instruction remains disrupted weeks after the storm. The district’s recovery plan therefore affects both where students attend classes and how some instruction is delivered while the building remains closed.
What Indiana’s e-learning rules allow
Indiana’s instructional-continuity rules place limits on how virtual days can count toward the school year. WSBT22 reported that Indiana Code 20-30-2-2.7 allows schools to count no more than three asynchronous virtual days toward the 180-day requirement. That means the effect of Lincoln’s e-learning days can depend partly on how the district classifies and conducts them, including whether instruction is asynchronous or synchronous.
Board Pressure Leads to Town Hall
School board members urged Bournes during a September meeting to hold a public community meeting addressing growing parent frustration over the ongoing closures at both Lincoln Elementary and Block Junior High, as reported by The Times. That pressure led the district to schedule a town hall for 5 p.m. today at the Gillis Vocational Center, a facility recently renamed by the school board after being known for years as the Carrie Gosch Pre-K Early Learning Center.
The prolonged relocation adds another disruption for East Chicago families and staff already adjusting to instruction across multiple buildings. Parents are expected to press the district at the town hall for updates on repairs, air-quality testing and the conditions required for a return.
The storm also caused widespread power outages in the area, adding to the disruption residents faced in the aftermath.
For now, families are left waiting on the outcome of tonight's meeting for firmer answers. Whether inspectors will sign off on air quality and electrical repairs in time to meet the district's October target remains an open question heading into the town hall.
