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TUSD public commenters press board on librarians, wages and PBLO culture concerns
Summary
At Tuesday’s meeting dozens of public commenters asked the board to restore certified librarians and budgets, demanded better wages and health benefits for bus drivers and custodians, and several PBLO teachers urged a culture review of school leadership.
Dozens of Tucson Unified School District employees, parents and teachers used the public comment period Tuesday to press the board on three recurring themes: restore certified school librarians and budgets, improve pay and health benefits for transportation and facilities staff, and investigate PBLO High School’s culture and leadership.
Karen Bernal, a state‑certified school library media specialist at Catalina High School, asked the board to “return to having highly qualified teacher librarians” in line with district policy JK and to preserve librarian assistant roles so assistants are not asked to perform certified‑librarian duties. "We currently have only 11 schools that are actually staffed by a state certified librarian," Bernal said. A retired library professor, Judy Morelian, echoed the point and urged that override dollars fund certified librarians who can lead AI and digital‑citizenship instruction across the district.
Several transportation workers and ASME bargaining‑unit members described low pay, rising insurance costs and a sense that promises tied to Prop 414/override dollars have not reached frontline staff. One commenter reading for a bus driver, Oralia Morales, said: "I have a chronic illness... I choose rent. I choose to keep working and my health gets worse." Other drivers and bus monitors described pay stagnation, step compressions, and a gap between administrative raises and the compensation of blue‑collar workers.
A group of PBLO High School teachers presented survey data and testimony alleging that principal leadership has created a difficult climate; speakers described low morale, allegations of harassment and requests for the board to use its oversight authority. The board said it will continue a culture and climate review at PBLO and invited staff to participate in the district process.
Board members thanked speakers and asked staff to bring follow‑up items to future agendas, including an overview of plans to reinstate librarian positions using override funds and continued work on compensation equity.
