Letter: ‘I’ve seen firsthand how essential classified staff are to schools and families’

Evergreen Public Schools parent shares open letter to district leadership

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

Dear Superintendent Moloney, Board Members, and Ms. Gomes:

I am a parent with children in Evergreen schools, and I can no longer stay silent. Families like mine are being told there is “no budget” to give classified staff fair wages, but the invoices, contracts, and choices Evergreen has made tell a very different story.

Here are the facts:

• Nearly $500,000 in legal fees in just six months, including over $105,000 in February alone, with more than $30,000 of that tied directly to bargaining lawyers.
• Over Labor Day weekend, bargaining stalled because the district refused to sign a simple statement agreeing not to give out $30,000 in bonuses to administrators, as they had in the past.
• A police referral has been filed regarding a supplemental contract signed by COO Jenae Gomes in 2023 — raising questions of whether state law was violated.
• Instead of fair wages, staff are handed “thank you” cards and told to accept empty gestures while leadership protects six-figure salaries, bonuses, and legal spending.

Meanwhile, Evergreen calls this strike “illegal” and harmful to kids. Let’s be clear: a short strike does not cause irreparable harm to students. What causes lasting harm is Evergreen leadership’s refusal to value staff and put resources where they matter most.

I’ve seen firsthand how essential classified staff are to schools and families. My middle son and I went to a strike location to show support, because these staff are the backbone of our schools. My oldest once had a paraeducator assisting him in math class — until that para left for a better-paying job. After that, his class didn’t have one at all. That loss directly impacted his learning. These stories are repeated across Evergreen, and they matter.

Our paraeducators, custodians, secretaries, food service workers, and countless others make schools possible. They are the ones caring for children like mine every single day. And yet Evergreen’s spending choices show they are treated as replaceable, while executives and attorneys are protected.

Parents are watching. Our kids are watching. Evergreen’s priorities are now public — and we won’t forget them.

I am calling on local press and independent investigators to dig deeper into Evergreen’s financial decisions, past and present. The public deserves transparency, and families deserve to know why there is always money for lawyers and bonuses, but never enough for the staff who make schools possible.

Sincerely,

Shimea Potter, parent
Evergreen Public Schools