Teachers tell Lake County board pay and turnover are urgent concerns

Several teachers used the public-comment period to press the Lake County School Board for meaningful, equitable pay increases and to highlight the effect of turnover on students. Alex Morsink, who said he has taught in Lake County for eight years and is an LCEA member, asked directly: "Why did we lose 370 teachers last year?" He argued the district needs to prioritize support for classroom teachers rather than focusing only on new buildings.

Other commenters described financial strain and staffing instability. Laura Petrucelli, introduced as a veteran teacher, said after a full day she drives for Uber and delivers for DoorDash "not for extra spending money, but because I needed to live." Chris Elm told the board, "We're not making a living wage," and said a proposed wage increase would affect roughly 32% of teachers while leaving about 68% unchanged. Board members acknowledged hearing the concerns and linked broader pay increases to a proposed millage referendum in November.