Gary school officials are calling off classes indefinitely because of safety concerns. Classes are cancelled today and Gary school officials say there will be no school until further notice.

Schools spokeswoman Sarita Stevens says the reason for the sudden stoppage is because of several reported altercations between substitute teachers trying to get into the school, striking teachers and parents. In one case, a striking teacher suffered a minor injury after she was accidentally hit by a car driven by a substitute teacher outside of an elementary school on Wednesday.

“We decided that it was no longer a safe environment for students, for parents and for really everybody involved. The plan right now is until the strike is over, there is no school,” she says.

Striking teachers, who starting picketing Monday, are looking for a pay increase and a reduction in health care premiums. Gary schools have offered teachers a 2 percent raise for 2005, 2006 and 2007.