Teachers, unions and parents press Pajaro Valley board over benefit cap and layoffs as public comment erupts

Dozens of teachers, students and parents used the board’s public comment period to press trustees to drop a proposed health‑benefits cap and to rescind recent layoffs, saying the district’s bargaining proposal would amount to a pay cut.

Trustee Olivia Navaro, speaking during board reports, said bluntly: "This board will not allow our teachers to take a pay cut." Her remarks and the flood of speakers reflected weeks of tense negotiations between the district and the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers (PVFT).

PVFT leaders and rank‑and‑file educators described months of bargaining they said lacked meaningful district movement, and they criticized the district’s public messaging after the parties reached an impasse. A PVFT representative told the board the union’s strike‑preparedness vote showed overwhelming support for authorization; speakers repeated the union line, "We don't want to strike, but we will."

Teachers and classified staff testified about classroom impacts they say will follow staffing reductions and a benefits cap: larger caseloads for counselors, fewer aides in inclusive settings, loss of mental‑health clinicians and increased turnover. Several speakers said students in special education would lose essential supports if staff reductions proceed.

CSEA chapter president Ashley Yuro urged adherence to merit‑system procedures in layoffs and warned of errors and inconsistent application of personnel rules that are increasing employee uncertainty. Speakers representing parents, retirees and students called for more budget transparency and said symbolic recognition (Teacher Appreciation Week and Classified Staff Week resolutions) did not substitute for concrete staffing and compensation protections.

Board action during the meeting focused on meeting procedures and public participation: trustees voted to allow one minute per speaker for the initial set of 35 commentators so the board could hear many voices that evening. Several trustees asked administration to return with clearer, public answers about alternatives to the proposed cap and about which layoffs had already been rescinded.

What’s next: Trustees and negotiators remain in active talks. Union leaders said they were prepared to authorize a strike if the district imposes a benefits cap or proceeds with planned cuts that union members say would worsen classroom conditions. The board did not take a final vote on bargaining proposals at the May 6 meeting; members directed staff to continue reporting and to provide more detailed numbers at upcoming meetings.