In Ashland’s School District, a glaring contradiction reveals itself in our educational system. Sixty-five percent of our classified school employees are eligible for food stamps as individuals, and a staggering 93% are eligible as a family of three. As a matter of fact, 78% of Ashland’s classified workers surveyed have to rely on public assistance just to survive.

As the president of the Ashland Chapter of the Oregon School Employees Association, I stand as a representative of these essential workers: custodians, bus drivers, nutrition staff, educational assistants, secretaries, and many others. We are the backbone of our educational system, ensuring that schools run smoothly and effectively while embodying and modeling the Ashland School District’s values of “community, equity, diversity, and excellence” to our students and community. Despite our crucial role, we are subjected to conditions of poverty.

The Ashland School District claims that budget constraints and declining enrollment hinder our ability to secure wage increases. This is a deceptive narrative. While our dedicated staff struggle to make ends meet, the average pay for administrators has soared by $20,000 since 2020, with one administrator’s salary increasing by an astounding $39,000. Meanwhile, the average annual wage for classified staff remains a meager $27,406. So let me state this again: 78% of classified staff in your school district have had to rely on some form of public assistance because their district job cannot cover their bills.

We urge Ashland School District to align its practices with the proclaimed values of “community, equity, diversity, and excellence” by providing a living wage for its working-class staff.

With love and a call for solidarity from Ashland,

Steven Essig

OSEA Chapter 42 President