The La Cañada Unified School District and the La Cañada Teachers Association came to an agreement on the renewal of their contract at the June 27 LCUSD meeting.
Beginning July 1, the LCTA salary schedule will reflect a 4.75% increase. The annual cost of this increase is $1,144,000 in salary and $260,000 in benefits for a total ongoing cost of $1,404,000. This will be funded through LCFF ongoing dollars.
On May 9, the district was only offering LCTA 1.5% increase to salary and a one-time off-schedule payment of 3%, according to LCTA President Mandy Redfern.
“We are only asking for the cost-of-living adjustment provided by the state of California to be passed on to the bargaining unit members, so that they are able to buy gas, afford groceries and care for their loved ones,” said Redfern at the May 9 meeting. “We don’t not believe we are asking for anything that is unreasonable, and anything less than that shows these hardworking individuals that they are not valued by this district.”
Salary increases vary year-to-year based on state funding and other funding sources.
“Each year the district is provided funding from the state through the Local Control Funding Formula that is applied to all public schools,” Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Debra Cradduck told the Outlook Valley Sun. “The state revenue dollars and other funding sources are entered into our budget along with projected expenditures and other related budget assumptions to give the Governing Board an outlook for the next three years. We then negotiate with our labor partners to determine a salary increase for employees that keeps the district fiscally healthy in all three years of the projected budget.”
Last year, the district settled with LCTA and the California School Employee Association for a 6% increase and added two days to the work year for 1%, with a total negotiated amount at 7% on-schedule.
“Our teachers are a critical contributor to LCUSD’s intentional success, which is why we’ve worked so hard over the recent years to provide the most competitive salaries and consistent increases in the area,” LCUSD Board President Joe Radabaugh told the Outlook Valley Sun. “The board wants to see that continue, but in a manner that ensures we can afford to also keep our amazing programs and services that fuel the La Cañada difference.”
Cradduck thanked LCTA, Redfern and the district team for their hard work on this negotiation.
“Negotiations can take a significant amount of time, often at the busiest times of the year,” said Cradduck. “So, I’m grateful to all who participated as it is an important component to ensuring positive labor relations. Both sides remain focused on the issues and language and were able to make compromises to find agreement and we are very appreciative.”
COLLABORATION DAYS
Now, in addition to the 4.75% increase, the district has also agreed to restructure Friday collaboration days for teachers.
Friday collaboration days are early release days for students in grades 1-6. The time is focused on improving quality instruction as well as the implementation of district goals and initiatives.
“The other main feature of our negotiations with LCTA was to restructure the Friday collaboration days in order to reduce them from 11 early dismissal collaboration Fridays to 8 for the 2023-2024 school year,” Superintendent Wendy Sinnette told the Outlook Valley Sun.
During these days, teachers typically work with their grade level colleagues at the school site but may also use the time to collaborate with their grade level colleagues across all three school sites or to communicate with the grade level teams that are above or below them to ensure smooth transitions in terms of student learning from one grade level to the next.
CSEA, CMSA GET BUMP IN PAY
Other contracts were approved by the Board on June 27, including CSEA and the Confidential, Managerial, Supervisory, and Administrative Association.
Just like LCTA, CSEA and CMSA also received a 4.75% increase.
The annual cost of the 4.75% increase for CSEA is $497,000 in salary and $181,000 in benefits for a total ongoing cost of $678,000.
“The other articles that were amended included disciplinary actions, where we create a progressive discipline section that is brand new, holidays that now includes the observance of Juneteenth, on June 19, as well as hours of employment and health and welfare articles,” said Cradduck.
Along with the 4.75% increase, the CMSA contact has been revised in the following areas:
- Salary Procedures
- Health and Welfare
- Early Retirement
- Vacations for Classified CMSA employees
- Holidays, and
- Stipends
“Thank you to everyone involved,” said LCUSD Board Clerk Caroline Anderson. “I know it was a rough slog, but you all did it and you did it before the next school year started, so thank you.
First published in the July 6 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
