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Parents, TK aides and unions urge board to preserve TK aid hours and SDC/Waldorf class
Summary
Dozens of public commenters urged trustees to reverse or mitigate program moves that parents say will displace special‑needs students from Waldorf SDC classes and to avoid cutting TK aide hours that would strip health benefits from low‑paid aides.
Multiple parents, students and union representatives used the June 4 public‑comment period to press trustees on program changes and potential cuts that would impact young children and special‑needs students.
Elizabeth Turner, speaking for families with children in the district’s SDC/Waldorf program, asked the board to preserve seventh‑ and eighth‑grade placements at their school or to add another teacher so students can remain with peers and receive consistent hands‑on instruction. Two students — identified in the record as Wyatt Matthew Tonal and Jesse Systo Gutirez — described losing the continuity of their current classrooms and asked the board to consider alternatives.
Separately, transitional kindergarten aides and SEIU representatives warned that layoffs or planned reductions from a six‑hour day to 3.5 hours would eliminate eligibility for employer health insurance and force many aides to leave. Bri Garcia, a TK aide of 15 years, said 3.5 hours is insufficient given that many TK programs run longer than the state‑mandated instructional minutes and often include a lunch that extends the day.
SEIU chapter leadership said the district’s reorganization has disproportionately affected classified staff, particularly TK aides, and urged the district to maintain the 10:1 ratio in TK classes whenever possible and to avoid converting positions into short‑hour roles that remove benefits. Union representatives also warned that alleged harassment of union members could lead to legal complaints if it continued.
Board members acknowledged the hardship described by parents and aides and said staff would factor public comment into budget and staffing decisions. Trustees also directed staff to continue exploring options to preserve critical student supports as the budget deliberations continue before the June 18 adoption vote.
No formal motions or votes were taken that night specifically to restore the cited programs; the items were framed by commenters as requests for the board to reconsider or mitigate reductions during the budget process.
