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Parents and teachers press board over pay as Torrance Unified advances layoffs and approves teacher payment MOU
Summary
Public commenters and students criticized teacher pay and district priorities; the board adopted a resolution starting a layoff process for specified positions, approved routine releases of temporary certificated employees, and authorized a $1,500 one-time payment for partial‑FTE teachers.
Several teachers, parents and a student told the Torrance Unified School District board on Tuesday that rising housing and healthcare costs have left many classroom educators struggling, and they urged the board to prioritize compensation as contract talks continue with the Torrance Teachers Association.
Mark Pesesic, a West High teacher of more than 25 years, said teachers in the district are "poor" while some administrators have received pay increases and described staff morale as low. Parent Tammy Delzel told the board that "home prices have risen by 237% while teachers' pay has increased only 39%," warning that local housing costs risk teachers' ability to live in the community. Cameron Green, a senior at West High, pressed the district on wage and benefit gaps and cited a claim about the superintendent's pay during his remarks.
The board followed public comment with several personnel actions on the agenda. Assistant Superintendent Hernandez presented a resolution to begin the statutory layoff process (production of particular kinds of service) to reduce one secondary French section and a 0.5 multiple-subject reading-intervention assignment; the board moved, seconded and carried the resolution, initiating the formal process that will identify any impacted employees and provide next steps if staff are affected. The board also adopted the annual resolution to release temporary certificated employees effective at the end of the school year, and it approved a memorandum of understanding with the Torrance Teachers Association to provide 33 partial‑FTE unit members a $1,500 one-time off-schedule payment to equalize a previously distributed benefit.
The board handled these items by motion and voice vote; no roll-call tallies were read into the record. Trustees discussed the ongoing negotiations, emphasizing that the district had "referred" the initial sunshine proposal to its negotiating representative and that both sides expected continued talks.
What happens next
Any certificated employees potentially affected by the PKS resolution will be notified as required by Education Code and the district will return to the board with further information if impacted staff are identified. Negotiations with the Torrance Teachers Association are ongoing; the district also placed its initial bargaining proposal on the record earlier in the meeting.
