Two Peoria Unified School District governing board members nearly scuttled the issuance of contracts to about 4,000 employees that would have included salary and benefits for the 2023-24 school year and led to the unemployment of those employees by mid-summer, all in an effort to remove two teachers.
The contracts eventually were issued by a 3-2 vote during a March 9 meeting, with board members Heather Rooks and Rebecca Hill dissenting over concerns regarding two teachers on the list. Hill initially motioned to approve the rehire list without those two teachers. Rooks seconded the motion, however the motion failed, 2-3.
Subsequently, board member Melissa Ewing motioned to approve the full rehire list, which was seconded by President David Sandoval.
