The California School Employees Association and the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District are on the same page.

The groups on Monday reached a tentative agreement in the 2015-16 contract negotiations at the District Office. CSEA represents the classified staff in the district and has about 325 members.

The agreements involve topics such as hours of employment, reclassification, and pay and allowance. The pay and allowance agreement includes a wage increase of 6.07 percent effective July 1.

The contract still must be ratified by the CSEA union membership and then approved by the Board of Education.

CSEA Chapter President Tami Contreras called the negotiations a solid achievement.

“To negotiate equitably and fairly it really takes a meeting of the minds,” Contreras said. “I feel both sides came prepared to take on the task set before us. We treated each other professionally and as equals. We listened to each other, and at the end of the day, being able to come to an agreeable understanding feels like a great accomplishment.”

Assistant Director of Human Resources Joni McDonald described the negotiations and “engaging and balanced.”

“There was honesty and transparency at the table,’’ McDonald said. “It’s nice to be able to walk away knowing a fair agreement was reached for all parties.’’

— Kenny Klein is a public information officer for the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.