Board renews Project Rebuild contract; partners will continue home‑based truancy support and McKinney‑Vento services
August 13, 2025 | School City of East Chicago, School Boards, Indiana
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The board approved a contract renewal with Project Rebuild on Aug. 12 to continue services aimed at reducing student truancy and connecting families to resources.
Miss Daniels, a district point of contact for the program, said Project Rebuild provides a range of services: home visits and casework for families, help finding housing and rental deposits for families experiencing homelessness (McKinney‑Vento students), job-search assistance and referrals for parenting classes when those services are court-ordered. "They help them find housing. If the parent has lost a job, they help them look for employment. If they need help with utilities, they need the down payment or anything of that nature," Daniels said.
Attorney Michael Snow told the board the city’s truancy ordinance functions as an enforcement mechanism and is separate from the service component. "I think that project rebuild probably could be a component of what the family is asked to do or part of the assistance that they can receive as they participate in the truancy court program," Snow said, adding the two programs can dovetail but are legally distinct.
Referrals and caseload: Daniels said referrals come from school staff (assistant principals, deans, social workers and liaisons) using provider forms; an assigned Project Rebuild staff member then begins work with the family. The district retains two truant officers, Daniels said. She also said the district tracks referral counts and that some partners who provide broad wraparound services may receive more than 100 referrals in a year depending on their service scope.
Why it matters: Trustees framed Project Rebuild as part of a broader truancy‑reduction and family‑support strategy that can complement enforcement through the city ordinance and the truancy court. Board members asked for more data on service volume and outcomes; Daniels said she can provide referral tallies and suggested a future work session to bring Project Rebuild and other partners in to explain services and caseloads.
What’s next: Trustees asked administration to schedule a partner presentation or work session showing the number of cases served and how Project Rebuild coordinates with school-based staff and the district’s truant officers.
Miss Daniels, a district point of contact for the program, said Project Rebuild provides a range of services: home visits and casework for families, help finding housing and rental deposits for families experiencing homelessness (McKinney‑Vento students), job-search assistance and referrals for parenting classes when those services are court-ordered. "They help them find housing. If the parent has lost a job, they help them look for employment. If they need help with utilities, they need the down payment or anything of that nature," Daniels said.
Attorney Michael Snow told the board the city’s truancy ordinance functions as an enforcement mechanism and is separate from the service component. "I think that project rebuild probably could be a component of what the family is asked to do or part of the assistance that they can receive as they participate in the truancy court program," Snow said, adding the two programs can dovetail but are legally distinct.
Referrals and caseload: Daniels said referrals come from school staff (assistant principals, deans, social workers and liaisons) using provider forms; an assigned Project Rebuild staff member then begins work with the family. The district retains two truant officers, Daniels said. She also said the district tracks referral counts and that some partners who provide broad wraparound services may receive more than 100 referrals in a year depending on their service scope.
Why it matters: Trustees framed Project Rebuild as part of a broader truancy‑reduction and family‑support strategy that can complement enforcement through the city ordinance and the truancy court. Board members asked for more data on service volume and outcomes; Daniels said she can provide referral tallies and suggested a future work session to bring Project Rebuild and other partners in to explain services and caseloads.
What’s next: Trustees asked administration to schedule a partner presentation or work session showing the number of cases served and how Project Rebuild coordinates with school-based staff and the district’s truant officers.
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