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Teachers, union leaders press Beverly Hills Unified for timely contract talks as educators report financial strain
Summary
Union leaders and classroom teachers used public comment time to urge the board to reach a fair contract before the school year ends, citing stalled bargaining, budget priorities and an audit finding that the district remains below a 55% threshold for staff salaries and benefits.
Union officials and teachers addressed the board during public comment on April 29 to urge faster progress in contract bargaining and to highlight the financial pressures classroom staff face.
Catherine Warren, president of the Beverly Hills Education Association (BHEA), said the union planned to be at the bargaining table on May 1 and criticized the district for delaying a counteroffer until June 1. “I would like to remind you that the last day of school is May 30,” Warren said. She told the board BHEA had prepared to bargain on April 16 but said “no one from the district showed up” and that the district later cited a leadership transition and a budget review as reasons to wait until June.
Annette Levy Goldstein, a longtime BHUSD teacher, described facing multiple jobs and high out-of-pocket medical costs and invoked a recent district audit. “It is well documented in the Beverly Hills audit that our district is out of compliance with the required percentage of the budget being allocated for salaries and benefits for staff,” she said, referring to a cited 55% threshold. Goldstein urged the board to prioritize teacher compensation, health benefits and stability so educators can afford to remain in the district.
Both speakers said uncertainty — about salary, benefits and class assignments — was harming morale and could undermine classroom continuity. Warren said many elementary teachers had continued to provide instruction despite leadership changes and administrative turnover and asked the board to empower negotiating staff with parameters to allow multiple negotiation rounds before the school year ends.
What the board and staff said
Board members acknowledged the concerns and invited further engagement. Dr. Hasty, the superintendent, and district negotiators were present and said bargaining would continue; the public record shows BHEA’s bargaining session was scheduled for May 1. The board did not adopt contract language or take a formal vote during public comment; staff and union representatives will continue formal negotiations under the district’s collective-bargaining process.
Why this matters
Teacher pay and benefits are a central part of local education budgets and collective bargaining. The union’s comments underscore a short timeline: the school year ends May 30 while union representatives and the district continue to negotiate. The district’s allocation of funds and any required bargaining parameters will materially affect employees and classroom staffing for next year.
