Union leaders and teachers press Apple Valley Unified board on bargaining, staffing and alleged conflicts

JC Scott, president of California School Employees Association Chapter 828, told the Apple Valley Unified School District board on Aug. 14 that classified staff are losing hope in the district’s bargaining process and that the district must stop what he called “dysfunctional and political theater.” He demanded “fiscal accountability, accountability for violence against staff, ethical conduct at all levels of the district leadership, and meaningful, transparent negotiations with labor partners,” and called for a board directive to negotiators.

Karen Sabers, president of Avuda, the certificated staff union, told trustees the district is operating amid a prolonged financial crisis. She cited figures presented in June showing a projected $25.7 million deficit for 2024–25 and a shift to a roughly $9.7 million deficit for 2025–26, and said many teachers are working without a contract and face higher insurance premiums in January. “If there are set parameters or at least the best final offer, bring it to the table so we can move on,” Sabers said.

Multiple teachers and school staff amplified those concerns during public comment. Steven Cobbs, who said he has served as a lead negotiator, urged the board to “step up” and give bargaining teams authority so proposals are not met with what he described as silence. Music teacher Javier K. Roas said the district has been told there is no money for a cost-of-living adjustment while neighboring districts raise pay, leaving morale and retention at risk.

Union leaders also raised an ethics question about the superintendent’s decision to hire outside counsel with prior legal involvement with a sitting board member. Scott said that hiring “an attorney who legally had involvement with a sitting board member” raises “serious and legitimate questions” about conflicts of interest and called for a full explanation and review.

Board members repeatedly said they welcomed transparency and acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns. Trustee Maria Opara urged civility and defended the superintendent’s integrity; other trustees said they would rely on a forthcoming finance review (referred to in the meeting as the firm’s review) to inform next steps. The board discussed reserving funds to bring back outside governance training from the California School Boards Association but voiced caution because of the district’s budget pressures.

What happens next: The board placed many items on the consent calendar and moved into closed session to consider personnel and litigation matters. Trustees asked staff to return more detailed data — for example, on savings from retirements and from staff switching insurance plans — and several trustees requested clearer financial reports before final decisions on negotiations are made.