Teachers union tells Marysville board pay and benefits lag rising costs ahead of negotiations

Angela Stegall, speaking for the Marysville Unified Teachers Association during public comment at the May 12 school board meeting, congratulated retirees and commended Lyndhurst athletics but urged the board to address compensation and staffing pressures.

Stegall said state cost-of-living adjustments may rise but "that still is not going to keep pace with the increases that we experienced in health benefits this year," and added that teachers and staff are feeling underappreciated. She criticized micromanagement and said, "Treating us like professionals... would be a whole lot better than sending me a chat GPT message. Micromanagement is not appreciation." Stegall also warned the board the district faces a teacher shortage and noted that contract negotiations were imminent, saying members expected meaningful talks "about a week and a half" from the meeting date.

Why it matters: union concern about compensation and benefits bears directly on staffing stability, classroom coverage and district budget choices. The union’s statements put pressure on trustees and district negotiators ahead of formal bargaining.

Superintendent Jordan Reeves’ remarks earlier in the meeting noted the district honored 26 retirees (12 certificated, 14 classified) and highlighted recent program and student achievements, but did not offer an immediate response to Stegall’s labor points during public comment. The board later approved routine personnel items and the district’s annual declaration of need, which permits the use of limited assignments and special permits when credentialed teachers are not available.

The union’s remarks will likely be part of the upcoming negotiations and district budget planning.