GARY — Lisa Koskela’s car was filled with classroom items — crates of glue bottles, holiday decorations, lesson plans, and books — but they were making a trip back to her house, possibly for good.
Koskela, who teaches fourth grade at Marquette Elementary School, is one of more than 400 Gary teachers — and 18 at Marquette alone — who received reduction in force notices this spring. She’s not confident she’ll be brought back next school year due to the district’s $14 million shortfall this year and a $29 million shortfall next year.
“When I got the notice, I started bringing home one bag of stuff each day,” Koskela said. “Now, I’m just down to the big chunks.”
The school board is considering axing between 276 and 300 teachers — about one-third — to save $23 million over the next two years.
“This is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” Koskela said. “I’ll miss Marquette. We have a lot of really good teachers here.”
Districts send out RIF notices in the spring to more teachers than will be laid off, and by late summer teachers with the most seniority are brought back.
But the depth of the notices is affecting even experienced teachers like Tracey Montgomery, who has taught for 20 years.
“I’m just overwhelmed,” Montgomery said. “Who is going to hire a teacher with my level of experience when they can get two starting teachers for the same price?”
Montgomery said she hopes to be notified soon of her fate. “I have a family, a mortgage and a NIPSCO bill; that doesn’t stop,” she said.
Gary Teachers Union president Carlos Tolliver said the board and union officials hope to agree on the number of teachers needed for next year by July 1.
“We’re working to see that it is done right and according to the data — projected enrollment,” Tolliver said.
Tolliver said that teachers were sent the seniority list so they know where they stand.
Aaron Bugajski, who is in his fourth year at Marquette, received a RIF notice for the third time this year.
“In college I was told that being a male in education meant that I always going to have a job,” Bugajski said.
He was encouraged by his principal and the union to look for another position. “I heard back from one and interviewed there, but there were a lot of people interviewing for maybe one or two spots,” he said. “Other than sending out resumes, it’s kind of a waiting game.”