Teachers, support staff say insurance crisis led to pay cuts, warn of vacancies

Angie Lucas, an employee representative, told the Amador County Unified School District board that recent insurance changes produced immediate pay reductions for staff. "All of the 8 staff members in my classroom, myself included, took a pay cut this month, some as much as $800," she said, adding the reductions have damaged morale and could trigger resignations.

Lucas told trustees that although bargaining has produced a successful MOU that filled many ESN classroom positions, the current funding and insurance disruption is eroding employees' ability to stay. "We're doing the same work, and we all are bringing home less," she said, urging the board and cabinet to "continue to work towards solutions that make all employees whole."

During public comment, Michael Garcia, who identified himself as a district employee, said the insurance and compensation issues have driven morale to a low point. "My morale is at an all time low, like, borderline manic," Garcia said, and he pressed the district for a promised health-insurance committee to evaluate options and report back.

District leaders acknowledged the problem and described steps to address it. Superintendent Critchfield and cabinet members said they are negotiating with bargaining units and assessing vacancies; staff noted some positions are being evaluated at the cabinet level and may be filled based on programmatic needs and budget availability. The county superintendent clarified the distinction between county and district financial authority: certain county-side contracts can be signed by the county superintendent up to $25,000 without board approval, while district-side contracts require board action.

Trustees heard repeated calls for greater transparency on spending and for a district plan that ties financial choices to recruitment and retention. Several board members said they expect the cabinet to report updates at upcoming meetings, including a formal schedule for the insurance-committee work and clarification on which positions will be filled.