By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – As the Tucson Unified School District works through budget planning for the next school year, the governing board approved a new top-level administrative role.
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It happened during a meeting on Tuesday, May 26, and it drew criticism from some district employees and their union, who say frontline workers are still waiting on raises.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, the board voted 3-1 to create a Deputy Superintendent position and appoint Shawna Rodriguez, previously a regional assistant superintendent, to the role.
‘They don’t have money’
Several employees represented by Local 449, which includes transportation and operations workers, spoke during public comment about pay and staffing shortages.
Nicholas Bruno, a bus driver, told the board some of the district’s lowest-paid employees are struggling.
“We’ve seen really that our lowest-paid folks are getting- it’s almost like, not even the bottom of the barrel,” Bruno said.
Bruno said workers have repeatedly been told there isn’t money for raises.
“They’re constantly telling us that they don’t have money and they have to make cuts,” he said.
That frustration intensified after the board’s first action item of the night approved the new deputy superintendent job.
Eve, another school bus driver, questioned the decision.
“We ask for, ‘hey, where’s the money from the raise?’ and they’re like ‘we don’t have the money,’ and then they create a brand new position!” she said.
What will the deputy superintendent do?
District leaders did not publicly disclose the specific responsibilities or salary tied to the new position during the meeting.
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Rodriguez addressed the board following the vote, outlining her priorities.
“Expand relationships and support the success of our students, our departments, and our TUSD community,” Rodriguez said.
Local 449 representatives said the district’s operational vacancies — including bus driver shortages — make the timing of a new administrative post difficult to justify.
Janetta Peck, a bus monitor, said workers want to feel valued.
“So that we can feel more valued and feel like our jobs matter, because we do know they matter,” Peck said.
One board member votes no
Governing Board member Sadie Shaw cast the lone “no” vote.
“I do not agree with the creation of a new administrative position in these troubled times,” Shaw said.
Following the vote, the governing board said a separate administrative position — Assistant Superintendent of Student Success — had been removed.
That created budget space for the deputy superintendent role. The salary for that removed position was , according to comments during the meeting.
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