The Gary Community School Corp. will sell Lincoln Achievement Center and David O. Duncan Elementary School to Steel City Academy for $250,000.
Most recently used as the district’s administrative offices, Lincoln has been closed since 2019, and Duncan since 2012.
Steel City Academy inquired about the purchase in 2022. The district has hesitated to sell closed school buildings to charter organizations in the past.
“Arriving at a decision to sell Lincoln and Duncan took time and consideration because we always want to do what’s best for students and for the school community we serve,” said Mike Raisor, GCSC manager, in a press release. “Ultimately, we all have the same goal — to serve the children of Gary.”
This sale also supports Mayor Eddie Melton’s goal of reducing the number of abandoned structures in the city. A state statute requires public school corporations to sell closed school properties for $1, but GCSC is exempt due to the district's status as a distressed unit. Steel City Academy opted to pay fair market value out of respect for the district and its history.
“These funds will allow for improvements to our 11 open schools and create the potential opportunity to demolish another closed structure,” Raisor said. “There will also be a cost savings with the district no longer bearing the expenses for utilities, security and other upkeep of the building.”
Steel City Academy plans to open the new facility in late 2025 or early 2026.
The Gary Community School Corp. serves 10,700 students grades kindergarten through 12. The district operates elementary schools, secondary academies, a middle school and a preschool.
Steel City Academy is a Gary-based charter school. It serves students in grades kindergarten through 12. The academy was founded in 2015.
