Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor And Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teachers and classified staff press Apple Valley Unified board over pay and rising insurance costs
Summary
Dozens of Apple Valley Unified teachers, paras and union leaders told the school board Sept. 4 that rising health‑care contributions and a 0% salary increase are prompting staff departures and hurting recruitment. Speakers gave specific benefit and budget numbers and demanded the board direct negotiators to produce a substantive offer.
Dozens of teachers, paraprofessionals and classified staff urged the Apple Valley Unified School District board on Sept. 4 to reverse cuts to health‑care contributions and to fund salary increases that employees say are needed to stop an exodus of experienced staff. The public comment period centered on bargaining for upcoming negotiations and on the financial strain of higher insurance costs.
Union president Karen Sabers told trustees she had provided a packet with district figures and said the district is projecting unrestricted deficit spending of $5,688,400 in the current fiscal year, attributing much of the strain to health and welfare costs. Sabers walked the board through insurance enrollment counts and dollar totals, saying the district’s contributions and the union’s dental reserve must be clearly distinguished: “We were told the contribution was $12,620,000 — that must be transparent to your decisions,” she said.
Teachers and classified staff described what they said are immediate harms from higher premiums and flat pay. “Our 0% salary increase does just the opposite. Whatever budget issue is being used to justify this, it was not caused by teachers,” kindergarten teacher Molly Nelson told the board. “We are not asking for luxury. We’re asking for respect.”
Multiple speakers gave concrete examples of premium increases and out‑of‑pocket costs. Sandra Waller said her family’s Kaiser contribution had risen and that a classified daughter who once had 100%‑paid single coverage now faces a monthly premium increase that will jump again in January. School counselor Philip Wallace said he will pay an estimated $4,353 for Kaiser in 2025, an effective annual loss he placed at about $28,853 compared with offers elsewhere.
Union and chapter leaders pressed the board to give negotiators explicit direction. JC Scott, president of CSEA Apple Valley Local 828, said the bargaining units have lost trust and urged prompt action: “What is required right now is action. Not tomorrow, not after another study,” he said, warning that symbolic gestures without meaningful compensation will not restore morale.
Board members and district officials acknowledged the urgency and said some negotiations were continuing. The board moved into closed session to discuss labor negotiations, personnel and litigation and later unanimously approved a motion to enter closed session on the items listed on the agenda.
What’s next: the district has bargaining dates scheduled for Sept. 5 and Sept. 12, and union leaders asked the board to set a clear directive for negotiators and to prioritize moving money into classrooms and pay for staff. Several trustees asked staff for additional budget detail on services and operating overages and for data that would show where discretionary funds could be reallocated.
Key figures and requests cited to the board in public comment include: the district’s projected unrestricted deficit of $5,688,400 (per the union packet), insurance enrollment counts (singles: 175; employee+1: 110; family: 310) and examples of premium increases for classified and certificated employees. Union leaders pressed for a return to 100%‑paid benefits for some employee groups and for a salary offer that would stem departures to neighboring districts.
