Union-north School Board hears, addresses public comments regarding corporation’s high resignation rate

LAKEVILLE—DURING the Unionnorth School Corporation (UNSC) Board meeting on Monday, several parents spoke during the public comment section, expressing disgruntlement to the administration and school board. Beyond those who spoke, many others were in attendance.

The comments were mostly regarding three main points. The most-voiced theme was regarding the high turnover rate among Laville’s employment. During the March 13 meeting alone, the board was presented with the resignation of Abby Doyle, the business manager and corporation treasurer; Hope Amor, the elementary principal; Stephanie Jimenez, an elementary instructional aid; and Dania Dejarnatt, a custodian. In the last year alone, UNSC has received 16 faculty resignations and two resignations for corporation treasurer. Several parents requested that UNSC reconsider their efforts to retain their talent pool.

Several people also spoke about the working environment, expressing concern that teachers are not given sufficient mental health support nor feel safe enough to voice disgruntlement over working conditions and senior administrators. Parents requested a way to allow UNSC employees speak up without fear of retribution. One parent also recommended establishing a citizens’ advisory board “to investigate the high turnover rate and resignations in our corporation,” as one parent said.

Another matter of concern was with corporation transparency, especially with incoming grants and the way the funds are used as well as with faculty evaluations. The request was made to update the website to allow the public to view those details.

Board member Arden Balmer addressed the comments towards the end of the meeting, explaining that as a small corporation, LVSC faces overwhelming competition to retain talent. “We are fighting to hold onto our teachers

and we don’t want to let them go, but sometimes it’s just a matter of you can’t fight the finances,” he said. He also agreed with a majority of the comments made, requesting that anyone with interest get involved with the school board to help make decisions about the concerns that were brought up.

Superintendent Dr. Angela Piazza commented to the Pilot News that the corporation tries to come alongside employees by supporting them and working to reduce burn-out. “Hearing our teachers' voices is very important to me,” she said. “They are the ones who are directly connected to our students every day so hearing what is going well and what additional support they may need is of highest importance. I meet regularly with our Union President and union discussions team to hear our teachers' concerns and to seek ideas, thoughts and input from the team.” She also reported that the corporation recently implemented a district-wide curriculum committee, filled by teachers to “seek teacher voice” and to “help identify areas of strength and weakness.”