Union reps, staff and parents push back on proposed staffing reductions

Union representatives and district employees used the public‑comment period to press the board to rescind or rethink staffing reductions. Juan, speaking for the local CSEA chapter, said the union had reviewed the district’s layoff proposals and found continuing operational need for many positions, citing nearly 190 substitute hours worked in February and revenue generated by the district print shop.

Several classroom and site staff described the practical effects of cuts. Marissa Glaser, a health‑office employee, described an incident last Friday where a health‑office assistant and nurse collaborated to save a 15‑year‑old student’s life and warned that eliminating health‑office assistants would put students at risk. “How much will our enrollment decrease when our children don’t go home alive?” she asked. April Branch and Eva Contreras urged the board to preserve curriculum‑implementation and independent‑study support positions, arguing the district still needs those roles to implement new curriculum and serve vulnerable students.