Apple Valley board approves tentative CSEA compensation package after closed-session negotiations

The Apple Valley Unified School District board voted to accept and sign the AB 1200 summary of a tentative agreement with the California School Employees Association (CSEA) chapter 8‑28, the district said on Oct. 2.

The tentative deal, negotiated and reported in closed session, provides a one-time off‑schedule payment of 3% for the 2024‑25 earned contract salary and a 3% on‑schedule increase for both the 2024‑25 and 2025‑26 school years. The agreement also raises the district’s health‑and‑welfare contribution effective Jan. 1, 2026, to $11,688 for employee‑only coverage, $22,152 for employee plus one and $28,432 for employee plus family. The settlement includes an additional longevity step beginning at year 16 at 16% of base salary and a provision to reopen negotiations if another unit receives a greater combined percentage of salary and benefits.

“Tonight is one of those first steps,” JC Scott, speaking for CSEA in public comment, told the board, saying the agreement restores “dignity” and begins rebuilding trust between classified employees and the district.

Trustee discussion focused on budget implications and reserve levels. Trustee Renee Longshore pressed district finance staff for documentation explaining a roughly $11.4 million upward variance reported between adopted and projected revenue in the 2025‑26 budget, and argued the board needed clear evidence of reserve impacts before approving settlement costs publicly. Assistant finance staff Matthew Schulenburg told the board that much of the variance arose from restricted grant funds and adjustments made after budget adoption and that one community‑schools block grant had been mis‑budgeted and then corrected; he offered to provide grant award notices and supporting documentation to trustees.

The AB 1200 summary — a required public disclosure of the cost of the settlement for school districts — was brought to a public vote after the board’s closed‑session action. In the public roll call on the AB 1200 item the board approved the document with one dissenting vote from Trustee Longshore, who said the numbers as presented still left unanswered questions about where funds were budgeted.

Superintendent Trini Nelson and district negotiators had recommended ratifying the tentative agreement pending the board’s acceptance of the AB 1200 certification, the board’s posted materials show. Board members said they expect follow‑up reporting on the timing and recognition of any federal E‑rate reimbursements and grant flows that affect the district’s cash position.

Next steps: the board’s public action to accept the AB 1200 summary allows staff to move forward with ratification and implementation steps for the CSEA deal. The board also reported in closed session that it approved increasing unrepresented employees’ compensation consistent with the CSEA offer; the board’s clerk said the increase excludes the assistant superintendents and the superintendent.