Classified staff and parents warn board that cuts, outsourcing risk student supports

Classified employees, teachers and parents told the Chula Vista Elementary School District Board of Education on Monday that proposed outsourcing and layoffs threaten essential services for students.

Ruby Williams, speaking for the district’s classified employees, said recent department closures and contracting-out of programs such as Aspire have displaced long‑standing staff and undermined continuity for students. “When positions disappear, we see aides and attendants assigned restrictive, inappropriate duties … it sends a message to the people who have built these programs that they are disposable,” Williams said.

Rosie Martinez, representing Chula Vista Educators, asked the board to prioritize staff compensation and benefits as the cost of living rises. Martinez said several members saw higher premium costs this month, citing examples of members paying about $800 a month for single coverage and about $1,500 for family coverage. “District employees should be able to afford the essentials for their families,” she said.

An unnamed behavior support assistant told trustees she and colleagues were hired into roles that were never fully funded, described instances of on‑the‑job injury and said the district will lay off 30 BSAs in June. “To say this cut does not affect classrooms is simply not true,” the speaker said, warning the loss will remove safety, regulation and access to learning for students across 30 schools.

Parents also raised concerns about mental‑health staffing. Kara Good, a Chula Vista parent, said cuts to counselors and behavioral assistance will “negatively impact the mental health of our students and staff” and asked whether the district had pursued grants and Medicaid reimbursement strategies.

Board members did not take immediate action on those public comments during the meeting. Trustees and staff frequently noted constraints such as collective‑bargaining rules and state funding changes as they discussed budget adjustments elsewhere on the agenda. Staff and trustees committed to follow‑up reports, and several trustees asked for more granular school‑level data on students who are below state standards to inform targeted interventions.