Teachers union warns Marysville Joint Unified could lose about $16 million without Proposition 55 extension

Angela Stegall, president of the Marysville Unified Teachers Association, told the Marysville Joint Unified School District board on March 24 that an extension of Proposition 55 is critical to local schools.

"Without the extension of Prop 55 ... Marysville Joint Unified would be looking to lose about $16,000,000," Stegall said, adding that the figure came from state estimates. She told trustees the shortfall could translate to a roughly 15% reduction in statewide education funding and could mean losing "one in six teachers" if the measure is not extended.

Stegall said petition-gathering was underway to qualify the measure for the November ballot and urged community members to sign. She framed the effort as nonpartisan and tied it to preserving school and health-care funding: "This is not where you sit on the political spectrum. This is where you sit in regards to helping education and helping our students."

Stegall also reminded the board that flyers distributed off school grounds and outside student instructional time are "protected concerted activity under the Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA) and the First Amendment," and asked the district to ensure staff receive accurate guidance about those rights.

She reviewed recent settlements in neighboring districts as context for local bargaining and said Marysville Unified staff would be bargaining the following day after a session the prior Friday.

What happens next: Stegall said she would be available after the meeting to help gather petition signatures; the board did not take immediate action on the request during the session. The district's financial exposure and bargaining outcomes are likely to be matters for upcoming staff reports and future board meetings.