CROWN POINT | The Gary Democratic Party's influence over its city schools remains the center of controversy this week as Gary high school students continued to arrive by bus at the polls.

The Lake County elections board is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Saturday to hear a complaint by Gary School Board candidate L'sana Djahspora alleging the Gary Democratic precinct organization is improperly meddling in the School Board elections by endorsing his opponent, Darren Washington.

Washington is an incumbent School Board member. Djahspora is challenging Washington in Tuesday's election.

State law requires school board candidates to be independent of any political party. Djahspora said evidence of party interference in the school election can be found in a copy of the Gary Democratic slate -- a slip of paper featuring a photo of Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

It lists endorsements for Obama and a number of state and local candidates, including Washington.

Djahspora spoke about his complaint early Wednesday outside the Lake County Government Complex in Crown Point as he greeted about 40 students of Lew Wallace High School as they got off a Gary school bus to vote early for Tuesday's primary.

The dispute is the latest complaint the Gary schools are being improperly influenced by partisan politics.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott denounced the Gary schools for busing its students, all first-time voters, to the polls. McDermott, a Clinton supporter, said the field trips were nothing more than a get-out-the-vote effort for Obama.

Gary Mayor Rudy Clay said the party encourages early voting, but doesn't indoctrinating students on how to vote.