Gary attorney Angela Lockett is the newest member of the Gary School Board, selected last month by the Gary City Council to the seat held by Vanessa Allen-McCloud, president and CEO of the Urban League of Northwest Indiana.
Lockett’s appointment marks the second change on the board in two years. She’s expected to join the board at its Aug. 14 meeting.
After Mayor Eddie Melton won the mayoral election in late 2023, he removed Akilia McCain from the board and named Glenn Johnson. McCain is married to former deputy mayor Trent McCain, who served under Jerome Prince who Melton beat in the primary.
A 2023 state law, adopted in anticipation of the end of the state takeover of the district, required an appointed school board. The mayor and city council each have an appointment and the state secretary of education has three appointments.
Lockett, a graduate of the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, has been practicing law since 2005. She primarily served as a criminal defense lawyer but became city attorney in 2021 and then corporation counsel in the Prince administration.
She has three children, including two in high school although she said they don’t attend school in the district.
As a board member, Lockett said she would prioritize academic performance.
“The school-related issues I see as most critical are test scores improving, and character building of the youth.
“The district can boost enrollment by boosting test scores of the students who attend.”
She said all three of her children began school in the Gary Community School Corp.
In a statement, Allen-McCloud voiced gratitude for the opportunity of serving on the first appointed board after the 2017 state takeover.
“My time on the Board was valued and I appreciate serving alongside my colleagues and with the Superintendent. I will remain supportive on issues that concern the betterment of students and parents in our community.”
Allen-McCloud had sought reappointment from the council, which selected her for a two-year term in 2023.
Instead, the council turned to Lockett, former corporation legal counsel under former mayor Prince who fired Lockett for undisclosed reasons in 2023.
Prince later pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud in 2024 for taking $26,000 from his campaign fund to purchase a house. A judge ordered him to repay the money and serve one year on probation.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
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