Staff and parents urge Coachella Valley Unified board to reconsider layoffs and question transportation reorganization

Dozens of classified employees, teachers and parents urged the Coachella Valley Unified School District governing board on April 17, 2025, to reconsider planned reductions in force and to halt a transportation reorganization that speakers said would replace eliminated jobs with newly titled positions.

Those who addressed the board said layoffs would remove experienced staff who perform day-to-day services such as library and media center operations, data coordination for English learners and transportation maintenance. They also argued the district has created or proposed new positions funded by grants or other sources while eliminating long-standing campus roles.

In public comment, Marissa Gaitan, a dual-language teacher, said the district should “speak like we act and act like we speak” when evaluating the quality of teachers it retains. Armida Rodriguez, an instructional media assistant, described the daily tasks performed by IMAs — checking out books, processing devices and preparing consumable textbooks — and asked how the district will meet legal obligations for library services if those positions are eliminated. Rodriguez said, “By law, in California…