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Washington Unified approves multi‑year agreements with teachers and classified staff; district flags $10 million in cuts needed
Summary
The Washington Unified board unanimously approved tentative, multi‑year collective bargaining agreements and AB 1200 disclosures for certificated and classified units, with combined near‑term costs the district says will require roughly $10 million in budget reductions over coming years.
The Washington Unified School District board on April 20 unanimously approved tentative collective bargaining agreements and the required AB 1200 fiscal disclosures for multiple employee groups, including the West Sacramento Teachers Association (WSTA) and the California School Employees Association (CSEA).
District staff summarized the financial impacts during presentation of the AB 1200 disclosures. The district reported a two‑year estimated fiscal impact for WSTA of $6,962,387 and $887,518 for certificated management. For classified employees, staff reported a one‑year cost of $1,726,640 and an estimated $180,000 (reported as 180,000.138 in the disclosure) for confidential/classified management. Administration said those ongoing costs will require the district to implement roughly $10,000,000 in reductions over the next few years, and warned that failing to align the budget could put the district at risk of state receivership.
"We ask for your approval of the disclosure of the collective bargaining agreement so the county office can review it," Monique Stovall, the district staff lead on AB 1200 disclosures, told the board before trustees moved and seconded the item. Shay Borges, the district’s assistant superintendent involved in negotiations, described the agreements as multi‑year and said they include updates across duty hours, leaves, class size, compensation and benefits.
A teacher who spoke during public comment, Thomas Mellon, praised the contract and urged the board to continue closing pay gaps with neighboring districts: "For some educators this contract will truly be life changing," Mellon said, noting health insurance changes that will reduce employee out‑of‑pocket costs.
Trustees who spoke during discussion acknowledged the budget challenge ahead. One trustee said the $10 million figure is substantial and that the district will need to make difficult decisions in the coming months to balance budgets while minimizing student impact.
The board approved the disclosures and related salary‑schedule items by unanimous voice vote. Next steps identified by staff include continued work by the budget advisory committee and further budget alignment actions in upcoming months.
