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Carpinteria teachers, union leaders say contract talks stalled; allege $3.5 million underpayment
Summary
Teachers and employee representatives told the Carpinteria Unified School District Board on Jan. 28 that contract negotiations remain at impasse, criticized the district's best offer as inadequate and said an audit found roughly $3.52 million in underpaid employee compensation.
Teachers and union leaders told the Carpinteria Unified School District Board of Trustees on Jan. 28 that contract negotiations remain at an impasse and urged the board to return to bargaining and increase pay for staff.
John Fowler, a teacher at Carpinteria Middle School, opened public comment by praising Dr. Jamie Pursuen's recent work as the new principal, saying, "Her keen observational skills and willingness to listen and to recognize the needs of students has been a refreshing and promising reset." Fowler urged the board to engage with staff leadership to address unresolved issues.
An employee representative (name not specified in the public record) told the board that bargaining negotiations have stalled, saying the district "refused to participate in the scheduled mediation session" on Jan. 14 and that the district's most recent offer was far below employees' expectations. The representative said the district's current best offer is 2% for certificated staff and 2.5% for classified staff, and that district administrators have received raises totaling about 10% to 12% over the same period.
The same commenter cited an audit and said the district underpaid employees by about $3,522,000, which the speaker characterized as "a deficiency equivalent to a 17% pay increase for all district employees." The speaker also told the board that rising local costs'"the cost of living has risen 20 to 23% in the last two years"'are putting pressure on retention and recruitment, and said union leadership was continuing efforts to avoid a general strike.
Superintendent Diana Rigby was present for remarks and later fielded unrelated procedural and budget questions from the board and public. Board President Diamond oversaw the public-comment period; the board did not take any formal action on contract terms during the meeting.
Why it matters: Public and employee statements put pressure on trustees to balance budget constraints with the district's ability to retain teachers and other staff. The dispute also framed later budget discussions about where reductions might fall and whether to preserve salary increases for employees.
What the board did: Board members heard public comment and proceeded with the agenda; no bargaining decisions or votes on compensation were made at the Jan. 28 meeting.
Ending: Employee leaders asked the board to resume bargaining and to prioritize employee compensation in upcoming budget decisions; the board continued its scheduled budget review without resolving the contract impasse that evening.
