Teachers and parents press Brea Olinda board for raises as bargaining continues

Teachers’ union leaders, parents and classified staff used the board meeting to press elected trustees to secure higher pay for educators, arguing pay increases are necessary to retain teachers and protect program quality.

Glenda Bartel, president of the Brea Olinda Teachers Association (BOTA), addressed the board in a detailed association report and urged a 4% salary increase for certificated staff. “We deserve this modest raise of 4% and much, much more,” Bartel said, arguing the district has fallen behind neighboring districts by thousands of dollars in annual salary comparisons.

Several public commenters during the meeting’s public‑comment period delivered personal testimonials about the effect of individual teachers on students’ lives. Kendra Gross Tapia recounted trauma support provided by Country Hills teachers and asked the board to “please properly and fairly compensate our educators.” Other parents — Kenneth Lim, Nadia, Kathy Jimenez and more — echoed that theme and pledged community support for compensation increases.

District response and context: Superintendent Brenda and other district officials acknowledged funding constraints. In the superintendent’s report the district said it had “successfully reached a tentative agreement on all topics open during the term of negotiations” with CSEA, the classified employees union; that accord does not represent a final settlement for certificated bargaining with BOTA. District staff repeatedly warned the board that state revenue uncertainty limits what the district can commit to without eroding reserves.

Why it matters: Teacher compensation is central to recruitment and retention; the board must balance local demands with legal budgeting requirements and an evolving state funding picture that staff presented earlier in the meeting. Community turnout and repeated personal testimonies made the meeting a high‑visibility forum for labor negotiations.

What’s next: Board members urged continued community advocacy to the legislature and said they will continue negotiations with BOTA while reporting updates to the board. The superintendent asked stakeholders to keep lines of communication open as staff refines budget options tied to the second interim projections.