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Atascadero teachers, union and parents urge board to pass COLA amid budget squeeze
Summary
Teachers, union representatives and parents told the Atascadero Unified School District board the proposed 0% pay increase risks teacher retention and hurts classroom supports; trustees acknowledged budget pressures and said one-time state funds and a budget task force are being used to address structural deficits.
Dozens of teachers, parents and union leaders pressed the Atascadero Unified School District Board of Trustees Monday to restore cost-of-living adjustments and address staffing and classroom supports, saying proposed 0% increases amount to a real‑terms pay cut.
Robin Deary, a community member, told trustees that Atascadero teachers often teach six of seven periods — a schedule she said leaves roughly 36 fewer prep hours annually compared with districts on a 5‑of‑6 schedule — and that the district pays among the lowest salaries in the county. "Giving teachers 0%, as the district has it suggested, is a pay cut in terms of purchasing power," Deary said.
Several current teachers and parents described the immediate impacts. Third‑grade teacher Shauna Shimelfening said she has served nearly 30 years and that "My monthly…
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