Public commenters raise unpaid‑artist invoices and staff pay concerns; union leader flags bargaining priorities

Several public commenters used the board meeting to press the district on operational and personnel issues, including delayed vendor payments and employee compensation.

Laura Wheeler (Artree) described a breakdown in payment procedures for classroom artists: contracts are routed through the Merced Arts Council and schools, invoices are submitted and tallied, but payment timelines have stretched to three to seven months in some cases. Wheeler said delayed payments have forced artists to take other work and risk losing local arts partners. Trustees acknowledged the concern and said district staff would follow up to investigate the accounts‑payable timeline.

Angela Bruning, a noon‑duty supervisor, described the pay schedule for noon supervisors as Appendix C (tied to minimum wage), explained that the classification has been excluded from range A despite negotiation attempts over several cycles, and urged the board to address long‑standing wage inequities. Bruning said the salary progression keeps many new duty supervisors at minimum wage with limited prospects for raises.

Jade Staples, the newly elected president of the Merced City Teachers Association, introduced herself and said bargaining begins June 30; she urged trustees to 'give grace' to incoming sixth‑grade teachers during the middle‑school transition and said some teachers have been notified of higher health‑insurance costs that will reduce take‑home pay. Staples said the bargaining team would work to secure fair contracts for educators.

Trustees responded by thanking speakers and asking staff to follow up—particularly on vendor payments—and noted that bargaining dates are set. Several trustees also praised a principal (Daniel Perez) for fast action in a medical emergency after a teacher described his CPR response at a campus incident; a teacher at Shehy called Perez's actions life‑saving.