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Residents, petition organizers urge board to pause grounds-staff cuts ahead of budget vote
Summary
Multiple residents criticized the proposed grounds-staff restructure at the May 12 special meeting, citing safety, loss of long‑time employees and a petition that organizers said had nearly 800 signatures; speakers urged the board to reconsider before the May 20 budget vote.
Several residents and petition organizers addressed the board during public comment, urging caution on the superintendent’s proposed grounds-staff changes and noting a high level of community opposition. Patricia Burke said the presentation "shows good effort towards transparency" but "falls short in several areas," questioned inclusion of relevant board policy and cited a petition with 745 signatures. Petition co‑organizer Kelly Watts said the petition had grown to nearly 800 signatures just before the meeting and asked the board to protect long‑serving local employees.
Speakers questioned whether the modest projected savings justified eliminating positions held by community members and alumni. Parent and resident James Ricker said the restructure was projected to save $69,914 on a roughly $67.8 million budget — about 0.1% — and recommended delaying any irreversible action so affected employees could qualify for new classifications on a civil‑service preferred list.
