AUSD teachers air concerns to school board

By Michael Chaldu · Wed Feb 04 2026

Absence of COLA allowance the main, if not only, complaint expressed in latest meeting

ATASCADERO — Despite a light written agenda, the Atascadero Unified School District Board of Trustees regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 3, drew a big crowd, mainly to hear some teachers and parents state their concerns about some issues during Oral Communication from the Public, mostly about the apparent absence of a cost of living allowance (COLA) from the district.

Before Oral Communication from the Public, the board heard from Atascadero District Teachers Association President Andrew Weatherly, who reported issues and concerns received from faculty members in a Zoom call the previous day.

Chief among them was the upcoming pay adjustments for teachers involving the COLA, which the district has indicated will be lower than the state standard.

"Why don’t we get full state federal COLA? As the cost of living goes up, teachers are forced to bargain for smaller amounts," Weatherly said. "It's a question of district budgeting — all the districts in our county have gotten full COLA, except Lucia Mar and Paso Robles may have hit an impasse, like we already have."

Another concern, Weatherly relayed, was that the district was having trouble retaining teachers — relying too much on outside contracted personnel — and having trouble recruiting young educators for the district.

"Can you help resolve the dark cloud," Weatherly said to Superintendent Dr. Tom Bennett. "I've heard students in universities are being told not to apply with AUSD, and they’re being discouraged from coming to us. This hits us hard; we want to make sure were hiring the best people."

Other concerns voiced from Weatherly were unsufficient support in the classroom (he cited teachers having to buy their own printer paper and then being limited to how many copies they can produce), advocacy on the state government level, and curriculum that sits unused "on the shelf."

During Oral Communication, Atascadero High Spanish teacher Robin Dery commented on the COLA issue and the teachers' salary scale.

"Teacher salaries in this district are constantly the lowest in county," she said. "The state COLA allowance is 2.3%; That wouldn't be a raise, it would just keep us current. Giving 0%, as the district has suggested, would be a pay cut.

"When this district hired the new superintendent, they gave him a substantial raise, and locked in a 4% raise each year for his three-year contract," Dery continued.

"How is this fair to teachers, and how are you encouraging retention?"

Meanwhile, Shawna Schimmelpfennig, a third-grade teacher at Santa Rosa Academic Academy told of how salary cuts have impacted her.

"As I complete my 31st year teaching and my 29th here at AUSD, I find myself being rewarded not with recognition, but with another pay cut," she said. "My monthly paycheck is well over $100 less without COLA. If this continues, I will retire in six years making approximately $700 to $900 less than I do know. I've already opted for the lowest medical plan, have no dental or vision, I pay the highest deductibles and I'm not sure what else I can give up. Is this how the board wants to treat its dedicated staff?"

There were other issues, also. During her time at the podium, Dery remarked how AUSD has faculty teaching six out of seven period, giving them less prep time per day, and how the district now seems to be the county's "dumping ground" for IEP, or special needs, students, with a higher amount in AUSD compared to other districts, again increasing workload.

Sara Holland, a kindergarten teacher who has a son in the fifth-grade talked about how her son's class time is being disrupted by badly behaving students, and how, as a teacher, she is forced to work beyond contracted hours. When she asked the audience if any of them were in the same boat, several raised their hands.

After Oral Communication, Bennett gave thanks to everyone for speaking, and explained that the district had its budget issues to work out.

"Thank you for coming. I've had conversations with many of you; we hear you, very loud and clear," he said. "We need to be able to work together. The budget deficit is real, and we’ll be open and forthcoming about that."

In other district news, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services EJ Rossi is apparently stepping down from his position.

The upcoming departure of Rossi, who was formerly the Atascadero High principal and was about to be offered the AUSD superintendent position last year before pulling it back due to staff and public opposition, was directly addresses, but mentioned in passing as the board passed a resolution changing language in the job description and another in the Consent Calendar authorizing the hiring of a consultant in the upcoming hiring search.

The AUSD board will meet next on Tuesday, Feb. 17, with open session starting at 7 p.m.