Support staff miss longevity pay and residents warn school closings could hurt students

Several public speakers used the Jan. 7 School City of Hammond meeting to raise payroll and program concerns.

Leslie Campbell, speaking on behalf of support staff, said longtime employees did not receive an expected longevity check on the most recent paycheck. "I've been here 32 years ... We did not get the check," Campbell said, urging the board to address the missing payment and noting that failure to process longevity pay could drive employees to look for work elsewhere.

Mary Ellen Slazek and other residents warned that planned or rumored school consolidations would disrupt students and families. "It's not safe, for sure," Slazek said of longer walks and crowded school assignments, adding that consolidations had already contributed to instability for some children.

Cindy Murphy and other speakers also flagged declines in extracurricular academic programs such as Science Olympiad and chess, attributing losses to staffing shortages and bell-time changes that limit after-school activities. Murphy urged the board to survey teachers and consider schedules that preserve extracurriculars, especially those that support high-achieving students.

The board acknowledged the concerns and asked administration (including interim Superintendent Dr. Brent Wilson) to follow up on payroll and to post more information to the district website. Trustees said they would seek clarity on the payroll issue and provide additional details on the superintendent search and forthcoming survey results.

Speakers encouraged community participation in an upcoming rally to oppose state legislation they said could alter local control; the meeting included an announcement of a phone line to contact state offices to register opposition to the bill as cited at the meeting.