MERRILLVILLE | The Gary Community School Corp. is hosting a conference at Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza Theatre for parents of students needing remedial help.

The five-day Region V National Coalition Title I Parents 31st annual regional conference, which began Wednesday, will include parents and schools from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Conference chairwoman Erma Lardydell said the conference will be punctuated with federal and state officials visiting Title I schools in Gary, Hammond, East Chicago and Merrillville beginning today.

Mary Douglas, of Gary, hopes to find out more about how to help her three grandchildren, whom she is raising, perform well in school and keep up with what's going on in the school.

Douglas said she likes the tutoring program offered at Beveridge School as well as the leadership provided by Principal Sallie Roberts.

Lisa Duffley-Kazmierski, who has two children at Jane Ball Elementary School in the Hanover Community School Corp., does developmental therapy for Indiana First Steps and was involved with the Head Start program.

Duffley-Kazmierski, who attended the conference as a parent, also hopes to gain information and insight that she can share with other parents.