BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Employees spoke up about their wages at the Bakersfield City School District Board of Education meeting on Tuesday after the Board members approved increasing their own monthly compensations by nearly four times.

On Jan. 27, the Board voted on a bylaw revision that proposed increasing BCSD Board members’ monthly stipend for compensation for meetings from $787 to $3,000.

The revision for the Board member raise intended to align with a new state bill regarding school district board member compensation.

Four Board members — Laura Guerrero Salgado, Anthony Fuentes, Brooke Malley Ault and Mike Eggert — voted to approve the raise, letting the revision and new stipend level go into effect. Chris Cruz Boone was the only Board member to vote against the raise.

On Tuesday, multiple school employees expressed their disappointment on the approved raise for Board members.

The reason? Classified employees say they also got offered a raise this year — but it was only 1%.

Classified employees include bus drivers, mechanics, custodians and more who are non-certificated and don’t hold teaching positions.

Dustin Marquez with the California School Employees Association urged the Board to listen to its classified employees during the bargaining process.

“These dedicated professionals are the backbone of our schools and departments. They serve staff, students and families every single day and their voices deserve to be heard and valued at the table.”

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Rebecca Abla, who has been working for BCSD Human Resources for 17 years, said loyal, long-term employees are being punished for staying with BCSD. She said classified employees received no cost of living increase last year and was offered a 1% increase this school year.

“It creates low employee morale when an increase of 281% for part-time board members versus a 1% offered for your classified employees, who are also struggling with the same inflationary pressures that you are,” Abla said.

She said BCSD can’t expect to maintain a high-functioning district without increasing wages for classified employees.

School bus drivers also attended the meeting to express their demands.

Talisha Brookfield said she has been a lead bus driver for BCSD for 28 years. She asked the Board to reconsider the proposed elimination of lead bus driver positions at BCSD which would lead to the district losing seven lead bus drivers.

“I understand that the difficult financial decisions must be made, but I ask you to view this position not as an expense, but as a safeguard, one that protects students, supports staff and strengthens operational efficiency,” said Brookfield.

Kayla Ferguson, a teacher working for BCSD, said the Board member raise was insulting and it was sad to see it move forward.

“It’s not the time to be getting rid of highly experienced transportation workers in our district, it’s not the time to be talking about not paying CSEA employees overtime that they’re working anyway, and it’s definitely not the time to not invest in the hearts and souls of people who empty themselves on a regular basis to support the kids at this district,” said Ferguson.

CSEA President Dinah May Jimenez said Friday, March 6 will be CSEA’s ninth negotiation session with BCSD and they haven’t been able to reach an agreement as of Tuesday.

Jimenez said many BCSD employees are working two jobs to make ends meet and that this isn’t fair.

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“One of the largest school districts in the state of California – BCSD – offering our classified employees only 1% is disheartening,” said Jimenez. “It does not reflect the value of their work. You should be ashamed.”

Towards the end of her comments, Jimenez called all classified employees who were waiting outside the Board Room to come in and march around the room. As they walked across the room accompanied by cheers from the audience, several people held up signs with phrases like “Our work has value” and “Classified Staff The (Heart) of the School.”

The Board didn’t make a decision or comment on the bargaining process during the meeting.

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