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Center Elementary teacher and parents press Travis Unified for full‑time kindergarten aide
Summary
Parents and a Center Elementary kindergarten teacher told the board that the district’s reassignment of kindergarten sections and removal of a classroom aide has left a class of 24 students without consistent support, causing instructional loss and a teacher sick‑leave absence; the board requested staff follow up as budget decisions proceed.
Christina Parrot, a veteran kindergarten teacher at Center Elementary, told the board she reached a “breaking point” after her class grew from about 18–19 students to 24 following a district reassignment and the loss of a permanent classroom aide. "I cannot continue to meet the needs of my students without the appropriate resources," Parrot said, adding that she took a week off for her mental health because she could not safely and effectively run the classroom.
Parent Sher Saros described volunteering experiences and said her son lost about four weeks of instruction earlier in the year when a substitute teacher covered a classroom, and she urged the board to restore consistent adult support. Gabriel Chavez, who said his two children attend schools in the district and one has diagnosed autism, argued that removing aides affects both students and families at home and pressed the board to find budget room for at least one permanent aide per kindergarten site.
Board members acknowledged the emotional testimony and the difficulty it creates for teachers and students. A board member noted that the district faces structural budget pressures and that certain revenue (for example, additional unduplicated pupil funding) phases in across years; district staff said they are reviewing site‑level supports and have already taken interim steps at Center, including a daily half‑day aide and school‑level adjustments. "We absolutely hear you and it is not to the standard that we want," Superintendent Tiffany Benson said, outlining steps the district has taken and additional hires and contracted supports underway.
The board did not adopt an immediate funding motion at the meeting. Instead members asked staff to include options in upcoming budget planning and to bring specific proposals back to the board, noting that some funding streams (including LCFF adjustments and restricted grants) are time‑phased. Several trustees urged district leadership to proactively present bargaining or staffing proposals rather than waiting for public appeals.
Next steps: staff will evaluate Center’s classroom assignments and supports, report back with specific staffing options and likely budget implications, and incorporate community input as the district develops the required $2 million reduction list for approval at second interim.
