Hammond teachers urge board to bargain in good faith as district warns of potential $5.6 million enrollment shortfall

At a required pre-bargaining hearing for the School City of Hammond, board spokesperson Susan Trainor reviewed the legal scope and timeline for collective bargaining while district staff warned that falling enrollment could cut funding sharply.

"We meet at reasonable times to negotiate in good faith," Trainor said as she summarized what the statute requires and the subjects—salary, wages and wage-related benefits—that the district must bargain. She said formal bargaining opens Sept. 15 and runs through Nov. 15, and that tentative agreements must be discussed in public and may be ratified at least 72 hours after that public meeting.

District staff cautioned that a drop in average daily membership (ADM) could be costly. "Last year, we were at 10,740 approximately students, and it looks like right now we're hovering just above 10,000," Mr. Kurtz said. "So it looks like we could experience a loss of 700 students, which is around $5,600,000 in reduced funding." He noted the official count is taken Oct. 1.

Teachers and union representatives used the hearing’s public-comment period to press the board and administration to negotiate in good faith and to address workplace concerns left over from prior bargaining. "The Hammond Teachers Federation is a union of professionals, and my goal as a member is to create working conditions that keep great teachers in this district," Anita Cox said, asking the board to "assemble a team that can be trusted by all the employees."

Several teachers described added unpaid responsibilities and effects on classroom practice. Veronica Prieto, a Morton High School science teacher who teaches dual-credit biology, said staff shortages assigned her two hybrid dual-credit classes without lab tech support, forcing her to schedule and run labs on top of redesigning lessons. "I'm my lab tech for my classes," Prieto said. "My time is not free. I would like to be paid for what I'm worth."

Other speakers asked that supervisory hours be reflected explicitly in the contract and raised benefit concerns. Jamaica Sawyers said the contract should "say exactly the amount of time we're expected to supervise" students, noting teachers often arrive earlier than official start time to supervise arrivals. Judy Morales, a long-serving teacher, warned against moving to state insurance and said robust coverage affects retention: "I do not want to see us go on to state insurance."

Union leadership framed teacher working conditions as tied to student success. "Teachers cannot be successful without working conditions and living conditions that promote success," Mark Webster, the union treasurer, said. Lou Decas of the Hammond Teachers Federation closed the public comment period by thanking speakers and urging prompt, productive informal conversations to avoid another prolonged impasse.

Trainor thanked those who spoke and said the board looks forward to collaborating with the federation to reach a contract "as quickly as possible." No formal motions or votes were taken at the hearing. Bargaining is scheduled to begin in the formal window on Sept. 15; the board will hold public meetings if a tentative agreement is reached.