Hammond school board approves contract

New agreement with teachers’ federation includes pay raises

The Hammond School Board unanimously approved the master contract negotiated between the Hammond Teachers’ Federation and the School City of Hammond at its meeting Nov. 6.

Dan Friel, labor relations attorney with the School City of Hammond, reiterated the terms of the contract, which include pay raises for teachers with one to five years of employment and those employed more than 13 years.

A new state law has changed the collective bargaining process, Friel told board members.

Negotiations between the HTF, headed by President Dan Gikas, Friel and school administrators including Superintendent Scott Miller began Sept. 15. The new state law requires specific school board meetings including those where the public can comment about possible contract terms.

The contract was ratified in October by the Hammond Teachers’ Federation, he said.

Effective Jan. 1, 2020, the salary range for teachers will be $41,000 to $75,000. Previously the top salary was $74,251. The amount allotted for base salary increases is $390,000, with raises expected in the $500 range.

Cindy Murphy, a Hammond resident, spoke during the public comment period prior to the vote, voicing concerns about teachers in the middle range of employment who are not slated to receive a salary increase.

Murphy stressed that retaining teachers in the Hammond public schools remains a high priority despite the economic challenges facing the school city.

“Teachers with 6 to 13 years are our problem,” she said. “We need to be taking care of our teachers.”

In response, Friel told the school board, “This is not a year we can bump up the teachers in the middle.”

In addition, teachers who receive a salary increase will also receive a one-time stipend of $300. This stipend will be paid in January.

Under the health insurance provision of the contract, the school board will make available a single or family membership in a health insurance plan for all teachers. A full-time teacher electing to participate in that plan would pay $2,400 annually toward the cost of a single traditional PPO plan or $4,800 annually for a family PPO plan.

Another option is the High Deductible Health Plan for which full-time teacher electing this plan would pay $1,200 annually for a single plan or $3,600 annually for a family plan.

The school board would annually contribute $750 into the Health Savings Account (HSA) on behalf of any teacher electing to participate in the single High Deductible Plan or $1,500 into the HSA for any teacher selecting the family High Deductible Plan.

In other business, the board heard a report from Scott Cherry, senior vice president of Skillman Corp. about progress on construction of the new school being built behind Hammond High School. The Merrillville-based company is providing construction management services for the new school.

Among those area’s completed, Cherry said, are the roofing system for the south academic wing along with wall frames in that wing. Carpenters are prepping the music/band area and auxiliary gym exterior walls for exterior insulation. Bricklayers have completed erecting brick veneer for the auxiliary gym and cafeteria area, he said.

The bid package for demolition of the current Hammond High School and parking lot will go out in March 2021 for that portion of the project that is slated to begin when the school year ends in June 2021, he said.

This new school is projected to open in August 2021, Cherry said.

A new school board member will be selected later this month to replace Deborah White, who resigned from the board on Oct. 25.

At 5:30 p.m. Nov. 14, the school board will meet in executive session to review information about candidates for that board position. Then at 10 a.m. Nov. 16, board members will interview candidates at a public meeting.

Lu Ann Franklin is a freelance reporter for the PostTribune.