Classified staff and union representatives press Chula Vista district over benefits, workloads
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Summary
Classified employees, union leaders and parents urged the Chula Vista Elementary School District board to stop assigning staff duties outside job descriptions and to address rising health‑benefit costs ahead of negotiations, saying the shortages and new duties are harming students and staff.
Classified staff, union leaders and parents pressed the Chula Vista Elementary School District board on March 15, 2026, to stop assigning classified employees tasks outside their job descriptions and to address sharp increases in employee health‑benefit costs ahead of scheduled contract negotiations.
At the public‑comment portion, Ruby Williams, speaking for classified employees, said the district is assigning substitutes and other classified staff to duties for which they are not hired — including serving as interpreters — and that the practice is unsafe and unsustainable. “Nuestro personal clasificado los están poniendo en puestos que no son de la descripción de su puesto…esto no se puede mantener así,” Williams said, urging the board to ensure employees are not asked to perform duties beyond their classification.
Jackie Venegas, vice president of the Educators of Chula Vista, told the board that rising health‑insurance costs are delaying family planning and placing heavy burdens on staff. Venegas asked board members to attend upcoming negotiations and stressed that support for staff ultimately benefits students: “Nuestros estudiantes merecen escuelas en donde los adultos sean apoyados,” she said.
Teresa Corona, representing the Association of Administrators of Chula Vista, reiterated that administrators appreciate collaboration but also raised concerns about workload and staff burnout. Multiple classified employees who spoke described split shifts, unpaid extra hours and lunches missed because staffing levels changed without notice; one speaker said caregivers who formerly worked 10 hours a week now are scheduled for fragmented morning and late‑afternoon shifts.
Board members acknowledged the comments, with several asking staff to bring clearer information to the board and to ensure that bargaining teams hear worker stories at negotiations scheduled for the following day. The board did not take formal action on the demands during the meeting; members and staff said they will consider the testimony in the negotiations and staffing reviews.
What’s next: Negotiations on benefits were scheduled the day after the meeting; classified staff and union leaders said they will bring the board’s public comments into those bargaining sessions.
