Yakima School District trustees heard more than an hour of public comment Tuesday from teachers, parents, students and union leaders who said recent reductions in force (RIFs), cuts to librarian positions and multiple administrator reassignments are damaging student services and school stability.

Speakers from several schools tied the cuts and moves to declining morale and interrupted instructional work. "If you keep ignoring them, you are turning your back on the people you were elected and appointed to represent," teacher Justin Nicholas told the board during public comment, referring to staff and families affected by the changes.

The California-based or centralized staffing changes discussed at the meeting included eliminating many elementary librarian positions while keeping most middle- and high-school librarians, and reassigning principals and assistant principals among several buildings. Several speakers said the moves had already occurred or were announced by district email the prior week and that some building leaders had served less than a full year.

Why it matters: speakers and union representatives argued that librarians and building-level administrators are "student-facing" staff whose removal or reassignment reduces direct support for students and undermines work already underway in grade‑level teams and PLCs (professional learning communities). Duff DeWitt, YEA bargaining chair, framed the concern in district spending terms: "Other districts that are similar to our spending on central administration would be districts like Edmonds, Everett, Spokane, Seattle," he said, arguing that central office costs should be reduced before cutting school-based positions.

Public testimony and staff comments
- Teachers and specialists from multiple schools described the effect of losing or losing access to consistent administrators and librarians. McClure Elementary staff said they had just completed a year of rebuilding and considered the reassignment of both their principal and assistant principal a major disruption; one teacher said the school had grown "a lot this last year" but would now face more change.
- Several Washington Middle School students and staff urged the board to keep Assistant Principal Nick Mifflin at their school. Student Genesis Bisenyo said, "Please don't take mister Mifflin away from us," and multiple teachers and parents described long relationships and trust built with him over more than a decade.
- A number of commenters said RIF notices disproportionately affected dual-language and early‑career teachers and that those staffing moves drive educators out of the district.

Board process and responses
Board members accepted public comment but did not vote on reversals. At least one board member asked whether items in the approvals section were time-sensitive; the board later moved two agenda items (section f) to the next meeting by unanimous consent. The transcript shows motions and approvals on procurement and contracts (see separate articles), but no board motion or vote at this meeting reversed the staffing changes announced earlier in the month.

What was not decided here: public comment raised questions about whether the district could reassign administrators or restore librarians; the board did not adopt any policy changes or direct staff to reinstate positions during the meeting. Several speakers asked the board to investigate and to consult staff and families before further moves.

Ending: Several public speakers asked the board to prioritize stability and student-facing staffing in future budget and personnel decisions. Board members acknowledged the comments and the superintendent and deputy superintendent were present during the public comment period; no formal action on personnel restores or reversals was taken at the meeting.