Teachers, parents press board on reserves, salary and budget priorities

Multiple public commenters during the meeting urged the Duarte Unified board to prioritize educator pay and be more transparent about budget reserves and contracts.

Heather Messner, Duarte Unified Education Association president and a Royal Oaks teacher, told trustees, "Priorities. You can't put students first if you put teachers last." Messner criticized the district's reserve levels and spending, saying Duarte kept "more money in the bank than comparable districts, the second highest in the region with 51%" (she compared that to an average of 27%) and flagged a special reserve (Fund 17) holding over $9.6 million. Messner also said expenditures for consultants and contractors ran higher than comparables and that the district's health-and-welfare spending was lower than peer districts.

Parent Andrea Grama, who said she is experienced in district budgeting as a teachers-union leader in another district, urged the board to use available funds to give a "real raise" to teachers and staff. She cited the district's projected year-end balance (which she said would be about $18.5 million) and calculated that each 1% increase for the teaching unit would cost roughly $212,000; she argued that the board could afford a multi-percent raise while retaining a robust reserve.

Other public speakers — including students and community members — brought additional topics (reproductive health resources, AI/robotics education proposals, program feedback). The superintendent and trustees acknowledged public comment and thanked speakers; trustees asked staff to continue transparent budget conversations.

No formal budget adjustments were made during the meeting; the speakers asked for the board to prioritize personnel compensation, provide clearer communication about reserves and contract spending, and engage stakeholders when creating budgets.