To: Cahokia Unit School District No. 1700 Jerome Lane Cahokia Heights, IL 62206 187, Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr., the Board of Education, and all parties operating under the authority of the Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/1-1 et seq.).

We, the undersigned voters and residents of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, do hereby petition the District and its leadership to immediately and transparently resolve the ongoing failure to ratify a collective bargaining agreement for certified educators within Cahokia Unit School District No. 187. This failure undermines the educational stability, morale, and legal protections owed to the students and faculty of this district. We demand swift compliance with the requirements of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act and applicable provisions of the Illinois School Code.

WHEREAS:

1. Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/24-1 et seq.) guarantees teachers the right to fair terms of employment and protection of professional conditions.
2. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/3(d)) requires public bodies to respond fully and timely to lawful public records requests, and to assist in narrowing scope rather than simply denying access based on volume.
3. The denial of these rights, alongside reports that educators must present death certificates to justify bereavement leave and are forced to manage unsafe student-to-teacher ratios, violates the spirit of equity, dignity, and lawful conduct under the Illinois School Code and FOIA statutes.
4. As residents and taxpayers of this community, we recognize that our teachers are not only caretakers of academic excellence but pillars of stability, trauma response, and moral guidance in our children’s lives.
5. The failure to secure a fair contract before the school year began, despite the summer being available for negotiations, has directly harmed instructional continuity and morale.
6. Reports of hostile work conditions, excessive documentation demands, and intimidation tactics signal urgent cause for public oversight and community action.

THEREFORE, WE DEMAND:

• Immediate public transparency regarding the state of contract negotiations and the District’s stance.
• Community hearing: A scheduled public meeting no later than May 1, 2026, with time for public comment from teachers, families, and advocates.
• Just resolution: A legally compliant and community-endorsed contract no later than May 1, 2026.
• End retaliation: A public commitment from the District that no educator will face retribution for speaking out or organizing.
• Respect and dignity: Eliminate harmful practices like requiring death certificates for bereavement leave.
• An end to harmful and unnecessary documentation burdens (e.g., requiring death certificates).
• Full staffing of qualified educators per class and student ratio protections.

STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATION

We, the undersigned, being concerned residents, voters, and/or parents within the Cahokia Unit School District No. 187, hereby sign this petition in affirmation of the above demands. We call upon the School District, its Board, and Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr. to comply with all duties under 105 ILCS 5, 5 ILCS 140, and to enter a path of meaningful engagement with the community they are sworn to serve.