MARYSVILLE, Wash. — At a roadside rally, right in front of the Marysville School District office, the community came together to say students deserve better.
Parents stood alongside unions who represent district employees, waving signs on Monday afternoon.
J. Hooman’s fourth grade son is enrolled in a Marysville public school, and she said she has no confidence in the district's leadership. She started an online petition about the contract for Superintendent Dr. Zachary Robbins. The school board is expected to discuss it during Monday night's school board meeting.
"If tonight they vote to approve and extend his contract, clearly, they are not listening to what this community has said,” Hooman said.
In Marysville, a lack of money has led to cuts impacting school programs and 45 teaching positions. The announcement about cuts came over the summer. Months later, parents were pushing for answers and calling for cuts to come from the top.
During a November meeting, Superintendent Robbins described a dire situation.
"It is unprecedented and we are doing everything we can to resolve this,” Robbins said.
The district said declining enrollment and two failed school levies in 2022 are among the reasons why they were initially dealing with a more than $17-million deficit. On its website, the district now states the deficit is down to about $5.9 million and more work is needed to fix the finances.
"The Board of Directors understands the financial challenges facing our school district and appreciates the dedication of Superintendent Robbins not only to the success of our students but also to work through the difficult financial times that he inherited coming into the school district," said Wade Rinehardt, president of the Board of Directors. "We support his efforts."
In a statement Robbins said, "We are committed to collaborating to explore all options and propose constructive solutions to address these challenges."
"The majority of people out there right now are worried that our school district might become insolvent, and without transparency and collaboration on the school district part, I don't know if we are going to get to where we need to get to with the numbers,” said Hooman.
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