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Parents and teachers urge higher pay at Monrovia Unified as district weighs cuts
Summary
Dozens of public commenters pressed the board to prioritize teacher compensation and warned that low pay is driving turnover and threatening programs such as dual-immersion and arts; multiple speakers asked the board to protect teachers while pursuing budget reductions.
During public comment at the Nov. 13 Monrovia Unified Board of Education meeting, a steady stream of parents, teachers and staff asked trustees to prioritize teacher pay as the district examines multi-million-dollar budget reductions.
"Teachers are the backbone of our education system," Joy Pipkin, a parent from Plymouth Elementary, told the board, saying Monrovia Unified teachers are "significantly underpaid" and that higher pay would help retain educators and attract families. Several other speakers — including Kelly Curtis, Lisa Heral and Heather Gak — echoed that theme, citing local comparisons and program-specific risks.
Kelly Curtis, speaking as a classroom teacher, said Monrovia ranks near the bottom of Los Angeles County districts for teacher pay in several measures and warned the district may be reaching a "tipping point" in which it loses experienced staff. Curtis highlighted the Mandarin dual-immersion program at Plymouth, saying the program's enrollment increased 33% after it started and that losing immersion teachers would be especially damaging.
Santa Fe teacher Lisa Heral asked why neighboring districts were able to grant cost-of-living adjustments while Monrovia was not, and Heather Gak, an arts educator, described the arts program as "on life support" with frequent turnover tied to salary and scheduling pressures.
Board members acknowledged the concerns and pointed to the district’s multi-pronged approach: staff are pursuing both reductions and enrollment-building measures, and they plan town halls and targeted outreach so the public can weigh trade-offs. The district’s fiscal presentation also discussed using categorical and grant funds (such as Prop 28 and CTE grants) to preserve specific programs where possible, but staff said those funds cannot substitute for general-fund obligations.
No immediate salary changes were proposed at the Nov. 13 meeting. Board members said staff would include public feedback in the Dec. 17 special meeting packet, and that labor negotiations will be part of the coming weeks as the district refines options that may have bargaining implications.
