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Classified employees urge board to address rising health‑care costs during packed public comment
Summary
Scores of classified staff and parents told the board that increases in employee health‑care premiums are financially unsustainable; union leaders urged equity in district benefit contributions and called for continued bargaining and reprioritization of district spending.
A wave of public comments at the Simi Valley Unified School District board meeting focused on steep increases in employee health‑insurance premiums and the impact on classified staff.
Several classified employees and paraeducators said recent changes in monthly premiums would be devastating for workers who earn modest wages. "A $200 increase to your premiums every month hits a person making $30,000 a year a lot harder," said Nikki LaCrosse, president of the Classified School Employee Association (CSEA) local chapter, urging the district to provide equity in benefit contributions.
Multiple speakers gave personal examples of rapid increases in monthly costs and described the financial strain of covering family deductibles and premiums. "Affordable health care is not just a nice benefit — it keeps people in our jobs and keeps students safe," a paraeducator said during public comment.
Employees asked trustees to consider ongoing contributions rather than one‑time payments, and to examine district budget priorities. Speakers raised concerns that some executive‑level positions have rich benefit packages while classified staff carry growing costs. "We are human beings, not numbers," LaCrosse said, summarizing the union's call for equitable fund allocation.
Superintendent Hani Youssef acknowledged the comments, thanked staff for their emergency work during recent fires, and said bargaining would continue. He said the district will pursue negotiations with employee groups and look for ways to increase support "as much as possible toward health care, salaries and benefits," while noting the wider fiscal constraints all districts face.
Trustees accepted the public input and said the comments will factor into upcoming bargaining sessions. No immediate changes to benefits were approved at the meeting; negotiations were scheduled to continue.
