Unions press board on pay and medical increases as finance staff outlines one-time funding plan

Several bargaining-unit leaders and district staff used the meeting to press the board on pay, health-care cost increases and staffing funded by one-time state dollars.

Union concerns and public testimony: Multiple speakers during public comment—many representing transportation, ATU Local 256, classified staff and bargaining units—urged the board to address recruitment and retention problems, pointing to rising insurance premiums that members said erode pay gains. One speaker described recent rate increases of 5% (WHA), 16% (Kaiser) and 24% (Sutter), and warned that such spikes make it harder for lower-paid workers to keep health coverage.

Bargaining updates and district response: Union speakers asked the district to create stable budget lines for classified staff and to negotiate protections and benefits that would prevent employees' paychecks from effectively shrinking. ATU leaders reiterated that drivers and attendants perform critical safety tasks and should be compensated competitively.

One-time funds briefing: Chief Business Officer Miss Watkins presented a detailed review of the district's one-time state funding pools: the final-year educator-effectiveness funds (about $4 million remaining), arts/music and instructional materials block grant (previously $36 million allocated locally; board committed parts to VAPA and technology), the learning recovery emergency block grant (with an estimated $9.5 million carryover forecasted at year-end and a June 30, 2028 spending deadline), and the Student Support and Professional Development Discretionary block grant (about $18.6 million allocated to the district, with $14 million already budgeted for near-term priorities and funds available through June 30, 2029).

Trustee comments and next steps: Trustees acknowledged the urgency of staff recruitment and health-care concerns while noting the district has limited ongoing revenue. Miss Watkins said staff will bring a recommendation to the board in November after additional LCAP-collaborative meetings and a district perspective survey. The board also approved a tentative agreement with the Psychologists and Social Workers Association, following the required AB1200 fiscal review and PSWA ratification.

Selected quotes: "We have people who are paid $16.84 an hour we have people who will not be able to recover from these [medical increases]," a union representative told trustees. "Decisions regarding budget priorities should be grounded in sustainability as well as student success," Miss Watkins said in the one-time funds presentation.

Implications: The one-time funding briefing maps the near-term choices the board will face as federal and state temporary dollars expire: whether to continue positions funded by one-time grants, identify ongoing funding sources, or reduce services. Labor leaders maintain that stable compensation and benefits are essential to preserve operations such as transportation and school-based supports.