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Teacher urges immediate release of stipends; board says issue will be placed on future agenda
Summary
A Cactus Wren teacher urged the Washington Elementary School District board to release retention and longevity stipends now, saying state budget actions free up resources; a board member said the topic will be placed on a future agenda.
Julie Even, a teacher at Cactus Wren and member of the district IBM salary and compensation team, addressed the Washington Elementary School District Governing Board on July 10 and urged immediate release of staff stipends using district cash-flow emergency funds.
"Governing board members give direction to mister O'Brien to to release at least $5,000,000 or more to IBM for distribution of retention and longevity stipends to the staff ASAP," Even told the board, arguing that a recently signed state budget and federal funding hold numbers left the district with sufficient cash to pay stipends before the school year starts.
Even said she first raised the issue to the board in May after a mistake in February left stipends funded with ESSER dollars and earmarked for the 2025-26 year; she said district staff had not yet provided all requested details and that IBM committee members had been told a possible October timeline for stipend distribution. "The WSD staff deserves this these stipends in August, not October," Even said.
After Even's remarks a board member said the matter will be scheduled for a future agenda; the board did not take immediate action during the public comment period. No formal vote on stipends was announced at the July 10 meeting.
Ending: Staff and board members acknowledged the request and the need for further review; the board directed staff to place the stipend request on a future meeting agenda for formal consideration and recommendation.
