The Central Bucks Educational Support Professionals Association (CBESPA) held a peaceful rally outside of Central Bucks High School East before the May 28 school board meeting. The union’s goal was to gain support for a livable wage in their new contract.
“We stand united as one. Both employees and the community,” said Deneen Dry, president of the CBESPA union, at the rally. “We are here to serve our students, but we also need support. We can’t keep showing up day after day when we are faced with wages that force us to have second or third jobs.”
Despite meeting 10 times with the school board, negotiations have gone nowhere. With only 32 days left before the support staff contract deadline, they must keep fighting to reach an agreement or go on strike.
At Thursday’s meeting, the support staff filled the auditorium wearing red and black — their union logo’s official colors. They held signs from the rally with phrases like “CBESPA Help Schools RUN Every Single Day” written on them.
Public comments overwhelmingly championed the support staff’s contract, yet board members remained silent on the topic.
When Dry took the microphone during the meeting to state her opinions, she directly called out board members for their reaction to the rally.
READ: Central Bucks School District Support Staff Call for Better Wages Amid Contract Negotiations
“What we did hear over the walkie talkie tonight was to please allow the board members to come into the gym entrance so that they could avoid the circus. So let me tell you. It was someone on this stage. I am not a monkey, and I am not a clown. And I will direct this comment to the person who said that. If that’s the way you want these negotiations to go, let’s go, 32 days. Thank you.”
During the rally, Dry pointed out the fact that she could make the same amount of money working at Chick-Fil-A.
“We had a job coach that was helping a ninth grader through the interview process. (The student) got the job and was making a dollar more than the job coach was,” said Dry. “We are not trying to take advantage of the district in any way shape or form, but it is time that we feel valued and respected like the other professionals in the district. And that’s not going to happen when you are paying peanuts.”
Kelsey Monroe, a freshman at Holicong Middle School, addressed the board with her concerns about the way the support staff is treated.
“When people hear educational assistant, they don’t fully understand the scope of the job. I didn’t either until I started to work directly with these incredible Personal Care Assistants (PCA’S),” said Monroe. “They truly opened my eyes to the lack of respect the support staff receives. These professionals are the pillars that hold up each and every school in the district. Without them, our schools would simply fail. Please give them the contract they deserve.”
