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Classified employees urge board to protect staff as district weighs cuts
Summary
At the Oct. 22 Santa Paula Unified board meeting, classified employees and staff urged trustees to avoid cuts to hours or benefits, describing daily student-facing duties and warning that reductions would harm stability and student support.
Vanessa Hernandez, president of CSEA Chapter 891 and an 11‑year employee in student support services, told the board that classified staff are “not just support staff. We are essential stakeholders in the success of our district.” She described custodians, nutrition workers, instructional aides and other classified roles as the “hands, the hearts, and voices” that make schools run.
Other classified staff and long‑time employees reinforced that theme. Diana Leon, an instructional aide at Isabelle Middle School who said she has served students with extensive needs for three years, said staff ‘‘shape the student experience every day’’ and urged the board to treat classified workers as partners in planning and safety. Marco Juarez, a library and tech specialist, warned trustees to avoid repeating staffing cuts he experienced in a different district, saying reductions can lead to “instability” and the loss of experienced workers.
The comments came during the public‑comment period as trustees received an informational presentation on personnel practices later in the meeting. Speakers repeatedly asked the board to consider the day‑to‑day student impact of staffing decisions and to prioritize maintaining benefits and hours. Several speakers said they face housing or financial insecurity that would be worsened by hour reductions.
Why it matters: Classified employees deliver front‑line services—meals, supervision, device management, and classroom support—that administrators and parents say influence daily school operations and student outcomes. Callers warned that cutting the lowest‑paid positions or reducing hours below benefit thresholds could damage retention, program continuity and the district’s recent gains in test‑score growth.
What’s next: Public commenters asked trustees to include classified‑staff implications in upcoming budget deliberations and to maintain the personnel commission’s independence and transparent processes when making staffing decisions.
