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Teachers, union and classified staff warn board about turnover and substitute shortages
Summary
AUTA and CSEA representatives and public commenters told the board the district has lost dozens of teachers in recent years and that understaffing and reliance on long‑term substitutes are harming classroom instruction and operations; the board and superintendent said they are engaged in bargaining talks and follow‑ups.
Community members and association representatives raised staffing and workload concerns during public comment, pressing the board for action on recruitment, retention and substitute coverage. A speaker reading an AUTA letter cited specific attrition numbers over three school years—24 teachers in 2021–22, 23 in 2022–23 and 17 in 2023–24—and said the bargaining unit has declined from about 111 to roughly 88 teachers; the letter urged using growing district reserves to improve compensation and retention.
Cindy Bell, president of CSEA, told trustees classified employees face added duties after middle‑school shifts and limited substitute availability, which she said has reduced custodial and office work capacity. Theresa Zaro and other public commenters described classrooms covered by long‑term substitutes who they said are not always credentialed, sometimes leave students without structured instruction and limit teacher planning time.
Superintendent Brittany Meyer said the district has been meeting with both bargaining units and described the meetings as productive, and she said staff PD and other administrative steps are underway. Trustees requested follow‑ups on substitute strategies, volunteer clearances and potential partnerships (such as outreach to Sac State) to expand staffing pipelines.
The board did not take immediate policy action during the meeting but agreed to continued bargaining discussions and to track follow‑up items, including volunteer processing and possible use of one‑time funds for recruitment or training.
