Teachers and union members urge higher pay, warn of staffing losses; public commenters press board on working conditions
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Summary
Multiple teachers, union representatives and early-career staff told the board that low pay and growing workloads threaten retention and student stability; union leaders encouraged the board to adopt proposed meet-and-confer recommendations including a 2% raise.
Members of the public, including teachers and the local union president, used the meeting's public-comment period to urge the board to adopt the meet-and-confer compensation recommendations and to warn that low pay and rising class sizes are prompting staff departures.
Kelly Blakesley, president of the Creighton Education Association, said the district lost 33 certified staff over the past year and urged approval of the union's recommended compensation adjustments (the meet-and-confer proposal). "Teacher working conditions are student learning conditions," Blakesley told the board, asking the board to support a proposed 2% raise to help retain staff.
Several classroom teachers and early-career employees described financial hardship and the practical impact on their ability to teach. Jacob Hunt, a middle-school ELA teacher, said many colleagues struggle to meet basic living costs and that some staff report taking second jobs or other measures to make ends meet; Hunt said suggested class-size increases would add an estimated 18% more workload for some teachers.
Aria Williams, a veteran teacher, raised concerns about contract provisions in recently circulated 2025-26 employment agreements that included clauses allowing up to a 10% pay reduction under some conditions and, separately, a clause in administrator contracts that permits discretionary one-time stipends or raises if additional revenue becomes available. Williams asked the board to clarify those disparities and said the changes were discouraging to teachers.
First-year teachers spoke about burnout and basic needs: one teacher described walking several miles to work after a car breakdown and missing meals during hardship months. Phoenix Haines, a first-year teacher who is transgender, thanked district administrators for support and urged the board to publicly affirm staff and student safety amid national debates over trans student and staff rights.
Board members acknowledged the comments and noted the district is balancing a tight budget and external fiscal pressures. Several board members said they value teacher retention and will weigh meet-and-confer recommendations; the union asked the board to adopt its recommendations and urged the board to consider teacher compensation a priority tied directly to student outcomes.
