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Teachers and union leaders urge higher pay and policy changes for support staff during public comment
Summary
Multiple public commenters — a teacher and union representatives — urged the board to revise the staff tattoo policy and to develop a plan to raise education support professionals' wages so full‑time staff do not live in poverty; paraprofessionals described multi‑role workloads and unpaid time.
During the public‑comment portion of the Nov. 17 meeting, several speakers urged the board to address employee compensation and workplace policies.
Tracy Kent Glode, a fifth‑grade teacher and member of the SCEAA, asked the board to remove or revise the district’s tattoo policy. She said a staff survey of 522 respondents showed 95% wanted the policy adjusted, arguing that requiring tattoos to be bandaged can draw more attention and that visible tattoos can reduce curiosity and better reflect modern norms.
Susan Hobgood, president of the Ori County Education Association, urged the board to develop a plan to raise education support professional (ESP) wages, describing a custodian who, even with overtime, earned under $35,000 and noting that a single adult in Orie County needs roughly $45,610 annually to meet basic expenses. Hobgood said paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria staff are essential to school operations and that fair pay is necessary for retention and student stability.
Jean Reed, vice president of the same association, read a detailed account of the daily responsibilities of a paraprofessional — instructional support, lunchroom duties, janitorial work, recess supervision and unpaid extra duty — and argued the pay and working conditions do not match the workload.
Board members thanked the speakers; no formal board action was taken during public comment, but trustees requested staff follow up as outlined in the public‑comment rules.
