Gary school district's manager looks to cut perhaps 60 jobs

GARY, Ind. (AP) - The manager of northwestern Indiana's financially struggling Gary school district is planning to cut up to 60 jobs soon toward reducing its budget deficit.

State-appointed emergency manager Peggy Hinckley says she's negotiating with the district's unions to identify positions that may no longer be needed or could be consolidated.

Hinckley says that could include librarians, social workers, long-term substitute teachers and unlicensed teachers. She's also reviewing the costs of outsourcing custodial and maintenance jobs.

Hinckley says job cuts are unavoidable and that she's trying not to lay off classroom teachers.

The 5,200-student district has seen its enrollment plummet by some 10,000 over the past decade. The district has closed numerous schools and will consolidate to a single high school next year as it faces more than $100 million in debt.