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Paraprofessionals and nurses urge fair pay; public commenters raise curriculum and enrollment concerns
Summary
Community members and union leaders urged the board to increase compensation for educational assistants and nurses, flagged enrollment and curriculum concerns, and called for cuts that spare student‑facing staff during budget shortfalls.
Multiple public commenters used the board’s public‑input period to urge action on staffing, compensation and curriculum.
Sarah Bridal, president of EMBEA (the union representing educational assistants and nurses in the Brainerd Public School District), said paraprofessionals and nurses who work daily with students facing behavioral and social‑emotional challenges deserve better pay and recognition. "Please remember that nurses and educational assistants are not just FTEs. We are professionals caring for the students who are most vulnerable," Bridal said, adding that paraprofessionals often receive the district’s lowest starting wage despite high contact with students.
Connie Liscio, a retired community member, cited the district’s starting wage for paraprofessionals at $16.40 an hour and compared that figure to local starting wages she observed of $17.45, urging the board to avoid cuts that remove student‑facing staff. Other commenters, including Doug Kern, expressed broader concerns about enrollment declines and potential curriculum changes (including references to proposed health standards and competitive equity in athletics) and warned that unresolved issues could lead to repeated levy requests.
Board members acknowledged the comments and said staffing and compensation will be part of broader budget discussions, including the proposed operating referendum. The board’s formal approval items that followed included multiple personnel‑ and funding‑related resolutions the district will implement in the coming months.
