Several paraprofessionals and community members used the school committee’s public-comment period to urge higher compensation and faster contract resolution for paraprofessionals (paras).

Speakers described paras as “the backbone of every building” and detailed hands-on responsibilities including calming dysregulated students, responding to self-injury and providing small-group instruction. “Do you know how to calm a dysregulated child? Do you know what it feels like to stay calm and collected while a child scratches you, bites you, and screams…?” said Ashley Zola, a 1-to-1 life-skills paraprofessional at Baker School.

Sherry West Taver, a special-education paraprofessional at Brockton High, said staff often earn far less than a living wage even after working multiple extra jobs and summer work. “You’re offering us 2%…which is a representation of the disrespect that we are shown,” she told the committee. Other speakers, including Lori Mason and Tracy Fernandez, criticized district hiring decisions, questioned transparency in recent administrative raises and asked the committee to prioritize front-line staff in bargaining.

Several speakers asked why higher-paid administrative or “cushy” jobs appear unaffected by cuts while paras face what they called minimal offers and contract delays. A resident referred to a retroactive administrative payment to the superintendent (described in public comment) and urged redirecting money to classroom staff; the superintendent’s compensation was raised as a matter of public comment, not as a committee action in the transcript.

The committee did not vote during public comment. Committee members acknowledged the remarks and several thanked speakers for their work; the record shows committee members promised to continue bargaining and oversight. The transcript records frustration and appeals for solidarity from speakers and community members who said many paras could not attend the meeting because of work obligations.

No formal action was recorded on paraprofessional wages during the meeting; contract negotiations and bargaining strategy were later placed on the agenda for executive session under state collective-bargaining law.