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Parents, students and teachers press Natomas Unified board to settle teacher contract amid strike
Summary
Dozens of parents, students and teachers urged Natomas Unified trustees to return to the bargaining table, citing classroom chaos, unpaid classroom expenses and concerns that substitutes cannot follow individual education plans. Multiple speakers cited $600-a-day substitute pay and questioned district priorities.
Dozens of parents, students and teachers packed the Natomas Unified boardroom and used the public-comment period to urge trustees to resolve a labor dispute that has prompted a teacher strike and led families to keep some children home.
Mariela Morris, who identified herself as a district alumna and parent, credited a named teacher with securing services for her child and asked trustees to prioritize smaller class sizes, funding for special education and affordable health care. "I urge you to support the teachers of this district," she said (public comment).
Multiple speakers described chaotic classroom conditions during the strike: students receiving packet work and unsupervised time, adults in rooms who do not know students' 504 or IEP plans, and substitutes whose qualifications and clearances were questioned. Parent Kim Palomo said she had kept her child home "until the strike has ended" and noted reports that substitutes are being paid $600 a day while classroom teachers purchase supplies out of pocket.
Renee Dickey, speaking as both a parent and a teacher, said substitutes who do not know students' 504 plans put vulnerable children at risk and urged the board to "return to the negotiation table and give teachers a fair contract." Other commenters cited district communications they called misleading, questioned the district's spending priorities, and said some families had already enrolled children in charter schools because of staffing and program concerns.
Superintendent Castillo acknowledged the emotions and told the board a "strong offer on the table" includes a 4% salary increase and a health-benefits option with no cost to employees, and noted California law requires a neutral fact-finding process in such negotiations.
The public comments fed into an extended discussion among trustees and staff about budget trade-offs and the fiscal implications of any negotiated agreement. The board did not vote on a contract at the meeting.
