Kent School District employees object to cuts, Vela buyout

Published 3:05 pm Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Jennifer Huck, a library assistant at Sunrise Elementary School, didn’t hesitate to tell the Kent School Board her opinion about a potential buyout requested by Superintendent Israel Vela.

”I know we’ve been told we are in a huge budget deficit ($30 million),” Huck said during public comment at the May 13 board meeting. “You have repeatedly said there’s no money to save our jobs. Yet, I learned in the Kent Reporter that Superintendent Vela is asking for $600,000 to leave KSD.

“I have also read that you’re thinking about giving him half of that money. I am so confused tonight (May 13). We don’t have money to save our library jobs. We’re only about a million dollars, but we have money to give to the superintendent to have him leave. Our students and taxpayers of Kent deserve better than this.”

Vela reportedly claims he deserves a buyout of his contract for what he claims are a Kent School Board member’s violations of his agreement, according to a Facebook post by Board Director Donald Cook, the subject of the complaint, about a May 6 executive session, which Cook claimed violated the state Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA). The board discussed Vela’s contract, a threat to sue the district and “the superintendent’s potential separation from the district.”

Cook said he released what was discussed because it is of great public interest and part of his duty to share the information.

“The Kent School District disagrees with the board director’s assessment of the OPMA violation and believes it acted in accordance with policy and law,” the district’s communications team said in an email to the Kent Reporter.

The board has been told by district finance staff that it needs to cut about $30 million from the 2026-2027 budget that it’s scheduled to adopt in June. Few specific proposed cuts have been announced, but library paraeducators are one of several employee groups targeted by district leaders.

“We want our students to have all the tools to be successful in their lives,” Huck said to the board. “Having access to open school libraries is one of the most important tools we can give them. And no matter what plans you have to replace us and think it’s going to be easy, it won’t work. It will not keep those libraries open during the day.”

Gavin Downing, the librarian at Kentridge High School, was another district employee who testified against the cuts and the potential Vela contract buyout.

“That money isn’t yours or ours or even the taxpayers, as I’ve heard some say,” Downing said. “It’s our students money and the district is responsible for its use for guiding it to supporting student learning, growth and success.

”But I have to say, if someone demands $600,000 of our students money or say they’ll sue for even more of that money, particularly making such demands in secret, at the same time we’re talking about cutting library aids and IT and health techs and reducing our teacher staffing by 150 positions, I have to doubt that the learning and growth and success of our students is that person’s guiding principle because I failed to see how that benefits any of our students at all.”

Vela has not responded to the Kent Reporter’s questions about his decision to seek a buyout. Vela was absent from the May 13 board meeting with no reason for his absence announced. Deputy Superintendent Wade Barringer filled in for Vela.

“The Kent School District does not comment on matters related to its employees,” the district’s communications team said in an email in response to a Kent Reporter question about why Vela missed the meeting.

Vela didn’t respond to an email about why he missed the meeting.

As far the cost of library paraeducators, Barringer answered a question by Board Director Laura Williams that the district pays about $1.1 million per year for 12 full-time positions, although most paraeducators work part-time hours, but that is the total cost.

Other educators, families, students and labor groups across the district, many dressed in black as part of an organized protest, packed the board meeting to oppose proposed district cuts impacting libraries, student supports and school staffing districtwide.

“Overall, I think the meeting reflected both the depth of concern among educators/community members and the growing tension around the district’s proposed staffing cuts,” said Jessica Justice, an elementary school teacher and Kent Education Association Executive Board member, who helped lead the protest, in a May 18 email. “There was significant testimony throughout the evening related to reductions impacting student-facing supports, including library paraeducators, custodial staff, office staff, IT support and involuntary transfers affecting educators across the district.”

Justice also spoke at the meeting and raised concerns about district spending priorities, including recurring expenditures tied to curriculum systems, software platforms, subscriptions, contracted services, consultants and outside staffing agencies.

“I also referenced information from district financial records and the district’s FY (fiscal year) 2025 state audit report to argue that before student-facing supports are eliminated, the district should publicly reevaluate and justify major non-student-facing expenditures and demonstrate that less harmful alternatives have truly been exhausted,” Justice said.

Justice said the day after the board meeting several librarians and staff in the district were officially notified that their paraeducators would in fact be losing their jobs.

“So it seems the district intends to make these cuts regardless of community or board feedback,” Justice said.