Board presented proposal to add $1/hour for Tier 3 ESPs and reinstate two paid holidays for 10-month employees

District staff summarized personnel items that will appear with collective-bargaining updates, including a targeted increase for Tier 3 educational support professionals (ESPs) and a reinstatement of two paid holidays for 10-month benefit-eligible, non-contracted employees.

Staff said the proposed ESP adjustment would add $1 per hour on top of the CPI raise and that it would apply to Tier 3 positions (security, special-education ESPs and Head Start preschool assistants). Staff estimated the additional cost at about $290,000 and said roughly 172 employees at that tier would be affected. The superintendent (unidentified staff) described recruitment and retention difficulties in filling these roles and said the board has been supportive of measures to address vacancies.

Separately, staff recommended reinstating two paid days (the day before Christmas and the day before New Year's) for 10-month benefit-eligible employees; the estimated fiscal impact of the reinstatement is approximately $130,000. Staff described the policy change as a restoration of benefits removed about 10'15 years ago.

Staff noted the collective bargaining updates themselves will be discussed in closed session; the $1-per-hour ESP proposal and reinstated holidays were identified as items outside the bargaining bucket that the board could consider as supplemental decisions.

Board members voiced support for ESPs and asked clarifying questions about whether the $1-per-hour is in addition to the CPI raise; staff confirmed it is.

Next steps: staff will include these items in the July 22 agenda packet for board action; no formal vote was recorded at the special meeting.