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Teachers and community criticize new HR post and reclassification as board approves positions
Summary
Teachers and community members urged the Northern Humboldt board to reject creating a human-resources specialist post and reclassifying the director of fiscal services to assistant superintendent of business, arguing funds should go to student-facing roles; the board approved both actions after debate.
The Northern Humboldt Union High School District board approved a new human-resources specialist job description and the reclassification of the director of fiscal services to assistant superintendent of business after extended public comment and board discussion.
Union leaders and classroom teachers said the timing and priorities were wrong. "What we cannot appreciate is adding more to the district office when we are facing budget cuts, when positions that directly impact our students on a daily basis were cut," said Emily Silvera, president of the Northern Humboldt High School Teachers Association (S15). Silvera told the board the association has submitted a demand to bargain over removal of student-assistance counselors and urged the board to delay approval until that process is resolved.
Owen Moore, CTA vice president (S16), pressed the board on trade-offs: "There's money for three new positions… $500,000. That could pay the salaries of all the people whose positions are being cut and then some," he said, urging the board to prioritize counselors, aides and classroom staff.
Administrators and some board members countered that human-resources capacity and fiscal leadership are necessary to keep the district operating within complex state and grant requirements. Superintendent/administrator S2 said the positions were part of prior planning; the draft job descriptions reflected expanded duties and were budgeted from the general fund and indirect-cost reimbursements. On reclassification, S2 said the director’s duties have changed: "If you look at the job description and then you look at the work that we're doing, it's not the same," the administrator argued.
Board members were split on optics and timing but emphasized legal and operational risks from lacking HR capacity. After debate the board voted to approve the HR specialist position (agenda item 6.5) and the assistant superintendent reclassification (6.6). The motion for 6.5 was moved and seconded; the public record shows an affirmative vote. The reclassification likewise carried following discussion about retention risks and salary range implications.
Next steps: the district will move forward with job posting, reclassification steps and internal planning; the teachers' association continues its demand-to-bargain process and said it will raise compensation and staffing concerns in upcoming negotiations.
