Three elementary schools in Hammond, Indiana will close for good beginning this summer.

However, the school board isn’t just stopping there; more than 100 staff positions will also be eliminated.

In a 4-1 vote, the school board agreed to close Lafayette, Columbia and Miller Elementary Schools. The students affected will attend Irving and Maywood Elementary Schools for the next school year with transportation provided.

The 130-150 staff positions that will be cut will be made on a teacher effectiveness rating. The board blames a deficit and the state legislature for lack of funding.

The one board member who voted against the closure and cuts argued that the financial issues didn’t happen all of a sudden. She says it took years of not looking at the numbers and spending more than what was available.

Hammond School Board Secretary Carlotta Blake-King was the sole board member who did not want to see the closures. She says, “What saddens me the most and what always happens in a situation like this – it always falls on the backs of the brown and black children. I heard someone tell me that social justice should not be determined by your zip code – and today it is.”

This summer, the staff cuts will begin as soon as possible.