Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Manassas public commenters press board on collective bargaining, pay and staffing during budget hearing
Summary
At a School Board public hearing on the proposed FY 2025–26 budget, teachers, counselors, and union representatives urged the board to pursue collective bargaining, higher and more equitable pay, and clearer plans to retain staff — citing recent losses of classroom teachers and shortages among specialized roles.
Speakers at Monday’s School Board meeting urged the School Board of the City of Manassas to adopt collective bargaining and to prioritize salary and staffing changes in the proposed FY 2025–26 budget.
Sarah Cook told the board she spoke from research and personal experience and argued that collective bargaining strengthens schools by preventing teacher burnout, improving working conditions and staff retention. "Collective bargaining prevents teacher burnout," Cook said, adding that recent teacher departures at Jenny Dean had led to class consolidations.
Heather Denardo, a tenth‑year teacher at…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
