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Teachers, unions and parents press Rialto Unified for raises as board hears reserve figures
Summary
Multiple teachers, union representatives and parents urged the board for a 5% teacher raise and criticized district messaging; union speakers cited more than $200 million in reserves and salary savings in prior years, and staff said negotiations are ongoing.
Teachers, parents and union representatives used the board—s public comment period on Feb. 25 to press for a 5% raise and to challenge district language about bargaining and compensation.
"A 5% increase isn't a luxury. It's a survival strategy to ensure high quality education," Stacey Norman said in public comment, urging the board to act to retain veteran educators. Tia Brown Cannon, who identified herself as a 25‑year district teacher, asked the board to approve "a 5% raise equal to the raise the board approved for itself last month."
A representative speaking on behalf of the Rialto Education Association presented district budget figures and said the district—s publicly posted financials show substantial reserves. The representative said the district "currently holds over $200 million in reserves," and highlighted salary‑savings totals of about $8 million (2022–23) and $12 million (2023–24), arguing those unspent funds show capacity to fund a larger raise.
Classified and other bargaining units said workloads have increased dramatically (in some cases tripled) because of program expansions and asked that compensation reflect added responsibilities. Rachel Ochoa, speaking for CSEA, said staff feel "unheard, overworked and increasingly disrespected" and urged respectful leadership and appropriate staffing.
Board members and the superintendent did not announce a change in the district—s bargaining posture at the meeting. Several trustees acknowledged the public comments and said negotiations are active; the superintendent and staff offered to report back on budget details and to continue dialogue with bargaining units. One board member observed that neighboring districts have recently approved or offered raises and suggested that the district—s ability to recruit and retain staff should be a priority.
The discussion did not result in an immediate board vote; members encouraged continued negotiation and follow‑up briefing materials.
