KIPP Considers Purchase of an Abandoned Gary, Indiana School

Chelsea Schneider Kirk & Christin Nancy Lazerus:

The windows to Beckman Middle School are boarded and the grass has turned into weeds, but Taiwane Payne sees potential for the school that the Gary Community School Corp. closed and is now selling.

Payne came to an open house at the shuttered school on Thursday eager to see if it would be an ideal building for his not-for-profit venture. Payne wants to revitalize a Gary school into a technical center that would teach the unemployed green technology.

But that's as long as the price is right.

"It's up to the city of Gary and the school corporation not to try to get as much money out of them as possible," Payne said. "It would be great to see the building being used and not abandoned."

From the outside, Payne surmised Beckman, which closed in 2004, would need some work.

"I need to get in and find out exactly what needs to be done," Payne said pulling on his work gloves and carrying an industrial flashlight.

Gary Community Schools is in the process of selling 11 of its vacant school buildings, but Gov. Mitch Daniels thinks some of the structures should be given to charter schools.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at June 28, 2010 3:04 AM
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