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District honors 52 retirees while classified staff and unions decry layoffs and moving impacts
Summary
Trustees recognized 52 retirees representing 1,083 years of service. At the same meeting union and classified representatives described mass layoffs of classified staff during the district’s reconfiguration and urged fuller collaboration in planning and LCAP development.
The Santa Rosa Board of Education on June 11 honored 52 retirees from the 2024–25 school year and heard detailed public testimony about how the district’s reconfiguration and layoffs affected classified workers, families and school culture.
Superintendent’s remarks opened the special presentation, noting the district’s 52 retirees “represent over a thousand years, 1,083 years of service to our students, our staff, and our community.” Trustees offered thanks and recognized retirees who attended for certificates and a group photograph.
During reports, a representative of California School Employees Association (CSEA) Unit 75 described the impacts of the district’s reconfiguration on classified staff: temporary and involuntary transfers, layoffs affecting “just under a 100 classified employees,” increased workloads for remaining staff and perceived administrative reorganization with higher salaries. The speaker said the district faces “a $25,000,000 structural deficit with reserves projected at negative 4.61% this year” and urged inclusion of classified staff in rebuilding plans.
SRTA President Catherine Howell and board members also described the emotional and operational disruption caused by consolidations and staffing moves. Howell told the board the district’s LCAP and some job‑description changes were shared with unions on compressed timelines and expressed concern that newly created positions could recreate earlier roles while displacing existing staff.
Superintendent August and staff described design‑team meetings, moving logistics, transportation planning with West County Transportation, and staff packing and extra‑duty moving teams. The reconfiguration presentation noted certificated staff may pick up site keys on Aug. 1, administrators participate in leadership launch days Aug. 4–5 and principals will convene site meetings on the first day of school, with teachers following. Staff said they expect to be ready for the return to sites in August but acknowledged the emotional strain of the transitions.
Public commenters included parents and Boys & Girls Club leaders who praised after‑school programs for childcare and youth support; a parent raised safety concerns about reintroducing School Resource Officers (SROs); a Santa Rosa High teacher asked trustees to reconsider phasing out the school’s French program. Trustees and staff acknowledged the concerns and committed to continuing outreach and program review as reconfiguration proceeds.
