Dozens of employees, bargaining representatives and parents used the district’s employee-and-student input period on Aug. 26 to press the school board on compensation, bargaining, staffing and program implementation.

Speakers included union representatives and classroom teachers who asked the board to accept proposals from the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA) and to provide raises and supplements the speakers said were necessary to retain staff. A union representative reminded the board of Labor Day and urged greater urgency in bargaining; a district speech-language pathologist said a recent district proposal would effectively cut pay for some staff by as much as $3,000 and warned that inadequate offers would worsen recruitment and retention.

Several teachers described changes to their daily work and pay uncertainty while negotiations continue. A Gaither High School teacher who is on the HCTA bargaining team said bargaining sessions produced little progress in one session the district did not present an offer and left while educators had rearranged schedules and childcare to attend bargaining; she requested better use of bargaining time. An economics teacher urged the board to make “the difficult and brave decision” to increase pay so schools can retain staff and deliver instruction.

Teachers also raised operational concerns: a kindergarten teacher at Lowry Elementary said some kindergarten sections had multiple ESE students and no dedicated inclusion aide, and she asked the district to preserve kindergarten units and staffing. A parent described a driver-education testing problem: her daughter’s DMV record shows a failed test because, she said, the instructor’s certification was not renewed; the parent asked the district for clearer, timely communication and accountability when credential problems affect student outcomes.

Several speakers noted progress on technology systems this year and thanked IT staff for improvements in the FOCUS student-information rollout, but others asked for clearer direction about mandatory in-person training and expressed frustration about email handling and follow-up. Board members and the superintendent thanked staff for a generally strong start to the school year and told speakers they heard the concerns; trustees said they would continue to press for bargaining progress and staffing supports.

No formal bargaining decisions were made at the meeting; bargaining is an ongoing process between the district and HCTA. Speakers repeatedly asked the board to prioritize salary negotiations and to resolve outstanding items with urgency.