One Rosdedale Union School District (RUSD) teacher, who feared retaliation for speaking publicly, said $250 is now being deducted from each of her monthly paychecks for health insurance. Another educator described a colleague worried about affording Christmas for her children, while a retired employee reported nearly $200 in additional monthly healthcare costs.
These were just some of the concerns raised during Tuesday’s RUSD board meeting as educators, retirees, and parents gathered at Rosedale Middle School to demand that district leaders resolve a months-long contract dispute. With negotiations at an impasse, teachers say the lack of a salary increase and the district’s refusal to cover their existing health insurance plan fully are creating financial hardship, driving experienced educators to consider leaving and threatening educational opportunities for students.
Members of the Rosedale Teachers Association (RTA) called for a 2% salary increase and continued full employer funding of their health insurance. According to the RTA, educators began paying additional insurance costs on September 30 after months of unsuccessful negotiations.
Ashton Fernandez, a third-grade teacher at Independence Elementary School, told trustees that speaking at the meeting was a difficult decision because of her concerns about how district leadership might respond.
“I have wanted to speak for months, but I fear that if I do, I will not be chosen again to teach summer school,” Fernandez said. “Yes, I am afraid of retaliation, but we have reached a point where fear is not a luxury I can afford anymore.”
Fernandez said the district’s current position has effectively reduced monthly take-home pay by $250 without a corresponding salary increase. Despite having earned five degrees and pursuing a lifelong ambition to become an educator, Fernandez told trustees that the financial pressure has become increasingly difficult to manage.
“This situation isn’t just affecting our wallet. It is affecting our campus,” Fernandez said. “Morale on our campus is low. People are making plans to leave, and all of this is causing unnecessary tensions.”
Other educators described similar concerns, emphasizing that the dispute is affecting more than their own financial stability.
One teacher, speaking on behalf of colleagues who had not addressed the board, described a single mother worried about how additional paycheck deductions would affect Christmas for her children. The speaker also discussed retirees facing unexpected healthcare bills and longtime educators considering employment in neighboring districts.
The teacher recalled a conversation with a longtime colleague who said she had lost her joy in teaching this year, describing the emotional toll of working for a district where employees increasingly feel undervalued.
Bethann McKee, a first-grade teacher at Centennial Elementary School who has spent all 27 years of her teaching career in Rosedale, questioned the district’s priorities after years of being asked to do more with limited resources.
McKee recalled working through tight budgets, years without raises, and the COVID-19 pandemic while remaining committed to the district’s emphasis on putting students first. She said the latest healthcare changes have caused her to reconsider the relationship between educators and district leadership.
“After 27 years of working in this district, I am now keenly questioning the decisions and priorities my leadership is making,” McKee said.
Much of the frustration centered on whether the district has the financial resources to meet the association’s demands.
Karen Whitten, a third-grade teacher at Centennial Elementary School, said educators initially requested a 2% salary increase and continued funding of their existing health insurance plan. According to Whitten, the district responded with no salary increase and a proposal that would require teachers to pay more toward their monthly premiums.
During public comment, educators cited an approximately $2.2 million surplus from the previous fiscal year and an expected $2.5 million in additional state funding associated with cost-of-living adjustments. Teachers estimated that their salary and healthcare proposal would cost the district approximately $1.6 million, questioning why those funds could not be used to support employees. Those figures reflect the educators’ statements and have not been independently verified.
Whitten also challenged the district’s comparison of its benefits with neighboring school districts, arguing that salaries and health insurance must be considered together when evaluating whether Rosedale remains competitive.
She warned that the consequences of losing experienced teachers would extend far beyond filling vacant positions.
“When experienced teachers leave, and they will, our students will feel that loss,” Whitten said. “Good luck replacing those countless years of experience. Good luck replacing the relationships that teachers have built with students and families.”
For some educators, those concerns are already becoming a reality.
Deborah Walters, a teacher in her third year with the district, described how the departure of a music teacher for a higher-paying district left three remaining educators responsible for additional work.
“Last year, as school started, we lost one of our music teachers to another district, which pays more,” Walters said.
Walters told trustees that the resulting staffing shortage reduced the number of students receiving music instruction. She said students have continued to question why certain opportunities, including choir, are no longer available.
“There were sixth graders last year and this year disappointed there is no choir,” Walters said.
Walters argued that the impact on students demonstrates why teacher retention should be considered alongside the district’s budget concerns. She also described her own rising living expenses, including a nearly 5.25% increase in space rent scheduled for December, as an example of the financial pressures educators are facing outside the classroom.
The healthcare changes have also affected retired employees, some of whom said they were not expecting to pay additional premiums.
In a statement read during public comment, a retired district employee said she had been told upon retirement that the district would continue paying for medical coverage for herself and her husband until she reached age 65 in 2031.
The retiree said she previously paid $131.60 per month for vision and dental coverage, but received a letter in July informing her that the cost of maintaining her current medical plan would increase by another $190 per month beginning in September.
According to the statement, she was given the option of paying the difference, changing insurance plans, or canceling her retiree health coverage. She also said district staff informed her that retirees would remain responsible for future increases even if current teachers reached a contract agreement.
The retiree described the additional costs as unfair, particularly for former employees living on fixed incomes who had made retirement decisions based on their understanding of the district’s benefits.
Parents also urged trustees to consider what the dispute could mean for students and families who chose to live in the Rosedale Union School District because of its schools.
Tara Bula, whose two children attend an elementary school in the district, said she and her husband deliberately purchased a home within the district because they valued its educational environment.
As a school site council member, Parent Teacher Club volunteer and classroom parent, Bula said she has witnessed the work educators contribute beyond daily classroom instruction. She urged the district to reflect those contributions in its budget priorities.
“We spend our budget investing in facilities and programs, student services, and even administrative leadership positions. But none of these can or will replace the people standing in front of our children every single day,” Bula said.
Addressing the concerns raised during public comment, Rosedale Union School District Board President Michael Spickler said trustees have been listening to teachers but are not directly involved in the contract negotiations at this stage.
“The board has not had a chance to be part of negotiations,” Spickler said. “The board’s not allowed to be involved in negotiations because of the rules.”
Spickler explained that the matter would come before the board later in the impasse process.
“I love and respect every teacher in this district, and when it comes to the board, we’re going to work hard to make everybody happy,” Spickler said.
For teachers, however, the central concern remains that the cost of healthcare is reducing the amount of money available to support their families.
Veronica Shepherd, a second-grade teacher at Rosedale Elementary School, challenged the argument that increased insurance deductions do not amount to a pay cut when salaries remain unchanged.
“Caring about our students does not mean that we should be expected to absorb higher costs while our compensation remains stagnant,” Shepard said.
Shepherd urged trustees to examine what teachers are actually taking home, the rising cost of living in Bakersfield and the compensation offered by neighboring districts before deciding whether Rosedale’s current approach would encourage educators to stay.
With negotiations at an impasse, educators are continuing to press for an agreement that addresses both salary increases and health insurance costs.
One educator who said he has spent 29 years teaching in Rosedale appealed to the board to reconsider its financial priorities, suggesting that the district’s reserves should be used to support employees and students facing immediate pressures.
“Now this, after 29 years, this may be my swan song or the rantings of a tired old man, but I know a budget surplus is also called a rainy day fund, and ladies and gentlemen, I’m pretty sure it’s raining,” the teacher said. “Will you share your umbrella?”
