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Teachers and union warn Lodi Unified about SPED substitute vendor costs and continuity
Summary
Multiple teachers and union representatives urged the board to review a district addendum with ESS West LLC for SPED substitute services, saying higher substitute rates could reduce differential/disability pay and harm service continuity; union representatives also flagged private-equity ownership of the vendor.
Multiple staff members and union representatives used public comment at the March 10 Lodi Unified board meeting to urge caution about the district's use of private contractors for special-education substitute coverage.
Yvette Collins, an eighth-year teacher at Sutherland Elementary who said she teaches in an autistic-structure classroom, told the board that the district's move to use ESS West LLC for SPED substitute coverage would increase the daily substitute cost and reduce her differential/disability benefit. "This shift…would increase that cost to between $271 and $361 per day, which is a direct hit to our paychecks and ultimately our families," Collins said.
Bill Yates, a longtime community member and former para, warned against outsourcing core instructional roles and described the rise of contractors in SPED as a "slippery slope." A union representative noted an addendum to the ESS West contract was added on Feb. 18 and raised questions about whether the addendum had been reviewed in public session. The union representative also said ESS West had been purchased by a private-equity firm and urged trustees to consider the public-policy implications of sending district funds to such owners.
Assistant superintendent clarified during the meeting that differential pay is based on the cost of the substitute and that the vendor markup does not change the differential calculation; the assistant superintendent said the district's deduction for differential is the cost of the substitute.
Speakers asked the board to clarify procurement steps, due diligence on ESS West, and whether the arrangement would be a short-term bridge or long-term outsourcing. Teachers described operational problems they see in classrooms when substitute staff rotate frequently: lack of training, late arrivals, inconsistent presence, and reduced continuity for students with significant needs.
The board did not take immediate public-action votes on the contract during the open meeting; public commenters requested additional transparency and procedures for contract review and staff protections.
