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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 Jenny Dean and a parent, described staffing disruptions at her school: "In the last month alone, we have lost several teachers," she said, and asked the board, "How are we going to retain our teachers past 5 years when their salaries no longer compete with the surrounding school districts?"
Anna Demaria, identified as a grade‑level teacher at Baldwin Elementary and president of the Massachusetts Education Association in her remarks, also urged support for collective bargaining and said surrounding local districts have it.
Several speakers focused on staffing shortages for specialized roles. Kristen Watley, lead speech‑language pathologist for Manassas City Public Schools, said roughly 10% of students qualify for special education services and that only seven SLPs currently serve the district. "We have been unsuccessful in attempts to fill vacant SLP positions," she said, noting the district has used contracted SLPs at higher cost and recommended a more competitive salary scale for SLPs.
Tammy DeHaven, special education instructional coach, urged transparent public discussion about how the state‑approved one‑time bonus should be distributed, warning that a one‑time payment is not the same as a permanent salary increase. She read the state language provided in the meeting and said the board has discretion to allocate the funds to promote retention.
Other commenters — including retired teacher Karen Huff — said they were weighing collective bargaining against concerns about possible increased costs to taxpayers and urged the board to examine administrators and school climate as factors affecting retention.
Board members acknowledged the comments; the public hearing is part of the board’s ongoing budget process and will inform further budget work sessions and a joint meeting with the city council.
