Gary, INDIANA

June 12, 2008 - Donald Pennington, 60, a teacher at Bailly Middle School, pleaded guilty to fondling two girls who were 12 and 13 years old at the time.

In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped more serious felony charges of child molesting and sexual misconduct with a minor. The maximum he will face when he is sentenced July 23 will be three years in prison.
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TT - Not surprisingly for Gary, Indiana, the school rates a 1 at GreatSchools.net. for these kinds of test scores:

English Language Scores - 8th Grade
State = 69% at or above proficiency (proficiency = at or above grade level)
This School = 23%

Math Scores - 8th Grade
State = 74% at or above proficiency (proficiency = at or above grade level)
This School = 18%

Students are 97% black, 1% Hispanic and 1% other. 78% are eligible for a free lunch.

TT entry for another Gary, Indiana school with online resource link to schools in Indiana.
Link for Bailly Middle School. The 2007-08 Avg Teacher Salary: $58,332
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SENTENCED July 23 - Pennington was sentenced to 30 months in prison. [The story was from a news release from the Lake County Prosecutor's Office. However, there are no online press releases at their site.]

Post-Tribune: (July 24) At the sentencing, the district attorney presented a letter from the mother of one of the girls, which the judge read aloud in court. The woman said her daughter is receiving counseling to help her heal from the emotional scars caused by the crime. The family moved to another state because the child was teased.

UPPERCASE Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. told Pennington, "For what you did you deserve to remain a convicted felon," Stefaniak said, barring any chance that Pennington's felony conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor when he gets out of prison.