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 schools, we need to provide library services to the students.”

Transportation staff expressed particular alarm about a reorganization proposal the district planned to discuss in closed session. Sergio Duran, a 30‑year transportation employee, urged trustees to “table it and discuss it further,” arguing that layoffs followed by creation of new titles could violate contract provisions and lead to litigation. Duran warned the plan could result in unfair labor practices and filings with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).

Several classified staff and specialists said their assignments go beyond the narrow descriptions provided by district administrators. Maria de la Torre, an English language support assistant, said ELSAs also perform data updates that drive Title I and Title III funding and help schools document newcomer services: “We're not just ALSAs. We don't just assist with testing.” Carlos Castaneda, a data specialist who said he faces layoff after 16 years with the district, told trustees his “value to this district goes far beyond any line item in your budget.”

Union and labor representatives told the board the process felt rushed and that classified employees had experienced multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years. A union representative said earlier actions affected 851 classified members and that 251 positions were placed on a layoff resolution that affected about 600 more employees. She urged the district to seek alternatives and warned of potential unfair labor practice claims.

Trustees acknowledged the stress of the moment and the need for fiscal decisions. Clerk Valerie Garcia asked for a special board meeting so trustees could review districtwide budget status and potential future cuts in a “global” way; she emphasized wanting a clearer view of what further reductions would mean for programs and operations. Superintendent Dr. Esparza told the board that positions added to support specific programs are funded by grants or other restricted sources and are not being paid from the general fund, saying such grant funding is time-limited and written to sustain particular programs.

There was no board vote at the meeting to approve or reverse the layoffs. The board moved into closed session during the meeting to consider negotiations and reorganization; after closed session the board announced it had approved a separate settlement (see "Votes at a glance").

Discussion points

- Employees described the scope of duties performed by IMAs, ELSAs, bilingual psychologist technicians and community liaisons, and warned that cutting those positions would reduce services that support English learners and parents. - Transportation staff said the proposed reorganization replaces positions by renaming them and risks violating collective-bargaining agreements. - Several speakers requested written justifications for why particular positions were eliminated and asked whether newly created titles would be the only ones with those duties.

Directions and next steps

- Clerk Valerie Garcia requested a special board meeting for a districtwide budget review before further personnel actions are finalized. - Trustees said staff would continue to work on the reorganization items and bring additional information back to the board.

Ending

Speakers urged urgency and fairness in personnel decisions and asked trustees to weigh program impacts alongside the district’s fiscal constraints. The board did not adopt changes to layoff lists or to the transportation reorganization at the April 17 meeting.