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Classified staff urge board to create ongoing representation, address pay and job security
Summary
A classified instructional assistant from Eisenhower Elementary asked the Geary County Schools Board to appoint a permanent representative for classified staff and to address pay compression, summer unemployment and delayed pay notices.
A classified instructional assistant from Eisenhower Elementary told the Geary County Schools Board that classified employees lack dedicated representation and that pay and job-security practices are harming retention and morale.
The speaker, who identified herself as a district employee but did not give a name, said, “I respectfully request that the district consider appointing someone to represent classified staff on ongoing basis.” She described three recurring concerns: new classified hires with no experience are paid the same as long‑tenured staff, classified employees must sign yearly notices that their re‑employment is not guaranteed, and many classified workers cannot collect unemployment during summer months.
Why it matters: Classified employees provide daily operational support—bus aides, instructional assistants, secretaries and other roles—that the district and schools rely on. The speaker told the board that the combination of limited pay progression, contract uncertainty and delayed confirmation of pay increases “has led to frustration” and could impede the district’s ability to retain experienced staff.
Board members acknowledged the concerns and asked staff to follow up. The speaker said the district’s homeless coordinator and other staff have been contacted about financial support for families in need and that the speaker was “open for discussions” with the district.
Board procedure note: The remarks occurred during the public‑comment portion of the meeting and did not include a formal board action. The transcript records the comment beginning when the speaker gave her street address and explained her employment, and ending when she closed by asking that the matters be taken “into serious consideration.”
Looking ahead: Board members did not take immediate action at the meeting; several asked staff to follow up with more information and to engage building‑level classified employees directly about pay practices, contract language and supports for summer months.
