Dozens of teachers, paraprofessionals, students and community members addressed the Valley View School District Board of Education on Aug. 18, urging the board and administration to reach a fair contract with Valley View Council 604 and to avoid schedule changes they say would harm students and staff.

Speakers at the board meeting pressed elected trustees to negotiate raises and protections for classroom and support staff, and several explicitly opposed a district proposal that would add minutes to the school day and move some high school start times earlier. Michelle Tampa, a teacher, told the board, “You are not willing to provide us with a fair contract,” and called on trustees to “make it happen.”

The remarks came during the meeting’s public-comment period, which the board opened to any member of the community. Supporters described long staffing shortages in special education and bilingual services, large workloads for paraprofessionals, and the effect of proposed schedule changes on students’ sleep and families’ schedules. Crystal Duran, a first-grade dual language teacher, said many colleagues work two or three jobs to make ends meet and called that “not right.” Students and parents also spoke: a senior ambassador said teachers “check in years after we left” and urged trustees to “treat our teachers right first.”

Why this matters: Speakers framed the dispute as both a labor issue and a student-safety and equity matter. Several commenters tied staffing and compensation directly to student supports — naming paraprofessionals, nurses, security staff and translators — and warned that continued turnover would disrupt services for students with disabilities and dual-language learners.

Board and administration responses at the meeting emphasized ongoing negotiations but did not announce a settlement. Superintendent Dr. Wood acknowledged the public testimony and described the district’s fiscal review processes elsewhere on the agenda. Members of Valley View Council 604 — the union representing many district employees — also spoke from the lectern and said the union had reached an impasse in negotiations.

Key details from the meeting:
- Multiple teachers described long careers in the district (one speaker said she had taught 35 years) and said contracts frequently start the school year unresolved. Several speakers asked trustees to prioritize wages, benefits and staffing retention.
- Students warned that adding 20 minutes to the school day (and moving some high school start times earlier) would reduce sleep and study time for student-athletes and students with family responsibilities. One student said an earlier start would make bus arrivals and after-school commitments untenable.
- Parents and staff emphasized special-education and dual-language gaps. One speaker said dual-language students “are often the ones who suffer most from staff shortages and high turnover.” Another parent described delays in legally required special-education evaluations and said the district’s handling of an individual student’s placement had led to missed school days.
- Union and union-aligned speakers criticized the district for bargaining tactics and said mediation had been used; the union representative said the membership would “not be divided anymore.”

Discussion vs. decision: The meeting record shows extensive public comment and union statements but no board action on the contract itself. Trustees did not vote on contract terms at this meeting; instead, public testimony and negotiation status were discussed alongside other agenda items.

Outlook: Negotiations remain ongoing. Speakers called for more transparency about district finances and funding contingencies; board members and administration noted the budget and tentative budget items on the agenda and invited stakeholders to review the budget documents placed on public display.

Ending: The board proceeded with its regular agenda after public comment; no settlement or binding agreement was announced during the Aug. 18 meeting.