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Teachers, paraeducators and union decry trustee raise as district cuts jobs and limits frontline pay
Summary
Hundreds of community voices and CSEA testified that a large trustee stipend is tone-deaf while paraeducators and classified staff received small negotiated raises and some positions are being eliminated; union demanded parity and accountability measures.
Teachers, paraeducators and the local chapter of the California School Employees Association urged the Escondido Union board to halt or reduce a proposed raise to trustees' stipends, saying the timing is wrong while classified staff receive modest raises and vacant positions are being eliminated.
The CSEA chapter president presented statements from members and cited a sample paraeducator paycheck of $1,747.95 for a 6-hour, 10-month schedule, saying that low wages drive turnover and undermine student support. Multiple teachers described multi-grade classrooms, lack of intervention teachers, and the strain of performing additional duties without commensurate pay.
Speakers proposed alternatives including a phased stipend increase tied to cost-of-living adjustments, a "me-too" parity approach that would mirror increases for staff, and measurable expectations for trustees (attendance, site visits) if additional compensation is approved. Several commenters pointed to district spending choices such as recent district-office landscaping and asked for transparency on special fund balances.
Union representatives and employees pledged continued scrutiny and said they would press the district in negotiations and future meetings to prioritize funding for classroom support over governance stipends.
