Board approves tentative contract with CSEA Chapter 133

The Rowland Unified School District Board of Education voted on Feb. 26 to approve a tentative collective‑bargaining agreement between the district and the California School Employees Association (CSEA), Chapter 133.

Matteo Buenavuz, identified in the meeting as the CSEA chapter president, addressed the board during the public-comment portion and thanked negotiators and district leaders for reaching a tentative agreement. "We would like to thank the district, the board members, and all the staff for their help in getting us to this tentative agreement," he said, calling the pact "real progress in recognizing the vital role in student success that the classified employees play." Later in the meeting board members echoed appreciation for both the bargaining teams and rank-and-file members who ratified the agreement.

The board president called for and received a motion to receive the public disclosure of the proposed agreement and then to approve the tentative agreement. The transcript records members saying "aye" and the chair announcing "motion carries." The transcript does not include the numerical vote tally or any specific economic or contract terms; where the record lacks detail, those items are not specified.

Why it matters: Classified staff carry out many day-to-day functions in schools (from clerical work to campus supervision and student support). Approving a tentative agreement typically clears the way for implementation steps such as formal ratification by union membership, payroll and collective-bargaining follow-through. At the meeting, union leadership presented the agreement as a negotiated improvement in working conditions and compensation that they said would support student success.

What the board said: Board members praised collaboration between district negotiators and the CSEA bargaining team. One board member thanked the union for its leadership throughout the process and noted the board placed action items on a study session agenda to expedite implementation so classified employees could receive promised benefits "as soon as possible." No board member described the agreement's dollar amounts or the schedule for implementation on the record at this meeting.

Next steps and procedural notes: The transcript indicates the board approved the tentative agreement during this study session and that the union leadership described the item as ratified by its membership. The record in the transcript does not lay out implementation dates, salary schedules, or a detailed timeline; those items were not specified during the discussion and are therefore reported here as not specified.