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Public commenter urges board to address educational support staff pay and protections
Summary
Wesley Gant told the board he supports the Mayday action in Raleigh and urged local dialogue on an Educational Support Personnel bill of rights, criticizing the district's rural supplement distribution that excluded ESP staff.
During public comment at the April 20 Stokes County Board of Education meeting, Wesley Gant urged the board to support the May 1 ‘Mayday’ action in Raleigh and opened a dialogue on an Educational Support Personnel (ESP) bill of rights, citing concerns about pay, professional development and protections from privatization.
Gant noted the district’s recent rural supplement allocation for instructional staff and said it was disappointing that educational support staff — including teacher assistants, bus drivers and office staff — were not included. "It is wonderful to get a supplement, but it is disappointing that the educational support staff will not receive any supplement despite working as teacher assistants, bus drivers, or office personnel," Gant said. He asked the board to consider ways to address the oversight and to recognize ESP contributions.
Gant also framed the Mayday action as a broader call for state-level priorities, saying it will "be centered around politicians that have put kids over or corporations over our kids" and inviting board members to join public-school workers in Raleigh.
Board response: The board clerk confirmed the public comment period ended after Gant’s remarks; no formal district action was taken during the meeting on the ESP concerns. The comment was recorded for board consideration and the meeting proceeded to the consent agenda.
Why it matters: ESP staff provide essential daily operations in schools; questions about supplements and equitable recognition can affect morale and retention. The comment raises a local governance question about how time-limited state allotments are distributed within district pay and supplement policies.
What’s next: The commenter requested dialogue; the transcript records no immediate commitment from the board to change the rural-supplement distribution during the meeting.
