Martinez Unified board approves apprenticeship pay increase, DecoTech licensing and $1.4M after‑school contract

At its March 23 meeting the Martinez Unified School District Board approved several staffing and contracting items brought forward by district administrators.

The board voted to approve a salary increase for instructors in the Contra Costa electrical joint apprenticeship program. Janelle Iot told trustees the apprenticeship teachers are paid at the IBEW Local 302 journey‑level worker rate and that the funding for the increase comes from related and supplemental instructional (RSI) funds, not the general fund.

The board also approved a five‑year network licensing renewal for core wireless and network software. Joe Gangler said the district elected a five‑year term to lock in lower pricing and will submit the award to the federal E‑rate program, which is expected to cover roughly 50% of the software cost.

Finally, trustees approved a one‑year contract with KCE Champions LLC to operate after‑school programming for the 2026–27 school year. Andy Cannon described the agreement as approximately a $1,400,000 one‑year contract paid from restricted after‑school program funds and supplemented by parent fees for extra participants; the district said this single‑year award allows staff to collect baseline performance data before considering a multi‑year contract.

Each item was approved on motions and voice votes recorded during the meeting. The board did not indicate any immediate general‑fund impact for these approvals and staff said restricted funding sources covered these costs.