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Residents urge better notice and higher teacher pay during Middlesex budget hearing
Summary
Two residents criticized the district’s public notice visibility and urged the board and county to prioritize teacher pay; staff said required public notices are filed per state auditing practice, and the superintendent included a 7% teacher raise in the FY26 draft budget.
Chair opened a budget-only public comment period and called for comments. Mike Nez of Harmony Village identified himself before members of the public addressed the board.
An unnamed resident said she could not find notice of the meeting on the school website or in common local listings and urged the district to publicize meetings where many residents actually look. "I looked in the website, school board events. I saw nothing about this meeting," she said, adding she wants more people at hearings so the community will support the budget request.
A staff member responded that auditors and state code require a two-week public notice filed in specified county public notices and that those notices are maintained in audit records.
A second resident who said her child lacked core teachers this year pressed the board on teacher pay and retention, calling pay "the ultimate budget item" and urging the board and Board of Supervisors to find a way to raise salaries so Middlesex stops losing teachers. The superintendent's draft budget includes a 7% increase for teachers and a 4% increase for other staff; final funding will depend on county appropriation decisions and any changes to the state budget.
Public comment closed and the board adjourned after a procedural motion.
