After 23 months of negotiations, it seems that the Carpinteria Unified School District and the employee union have struck a deal.
The tentative agreement includes a 5% salary increase for employees, a $3,000 stipend for special education teachers, and bonuses for current and recently retired employees.
The agreement came out of Friday’s fact finding hearing between the district and the Carpinteria Association of Unified School Employees (CAUSE), along with a state-appointed fact finder that was in charge of reviewing each side’s argument and financial positions.
CUSD Superintendent Diana Rigby said the district is glad to have reached an agreement that reflects its appreciation for its employees.
“After two years of negotiations, the district is pleased to have reached an agreement with its teachers and staff that honors their dedication to public education while upholding the district’s fiscal and operational responsibilities,” Rigby said.
“Our teachers and staff play a vital role in supporting students and are an essential part of our school community. This agreement reflects the district’s deep appreciation for their contributions and provides fair and meaningful compensation for their hard work and commitment.”
CAUSE President Jay Hotchner said the agreement doesn’t resolve significant labor disputes in the district, but it does resolve collective bargaining from the last three school years and prevents a strike.
“The agreement should not have taken so long to reach, and it doesn’t come close to bringing district employees the economic stability and salary increase they’ve earned,” Hotchner said.
“But the agreement brings slight relief to employees, whose salaries do little to keep up with regional cost of living increases and still fall far behind the majority of surrounding districts,” Hotchner said. “There is much more work to do before CUSD can claim it prioritizes employees’ economic stability. But the agreement is a step forward, and again, we encourage employees to support it. It’s the best we could reach with the bargaining partner we have.”
If the union membership approves the agreement, certified and classified employees will get a 5% pay increase starting in the next school year. Employees will also get a bonus equivalent to 4% of their base salary from the 2024-2025 school year. The bonus will also go to employers that retired during the last two school years, according to the agreement.
Special education teachers will start receiving an annual $3,000 stipend that will be paid in installments over the course of the school year.
Employees will also get a one-time bonus based on the Santa Barbara County Office of Education property tax allocation from 2024-2025. In October 2026, employees will get a salary increase based on the property tax allocation for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
During contract negotiations, CAUSE asked for increased salaries to keep up with the cost of living. Meanwhile, the district said it had limited financial resources.
The district’s limited funds is partially due to multiple ongoing legal battles.
One case involved the district trying to dismiss Hotchner from his middle school teaching position over alleged inappropriate and unprofessional conduct toward students.
The Commission on Professional Competence ordered that the district rehire Hotchner after he was dismissed in November 2022. The district challenged the ruling but that commission decision was recently upheld by a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge.
The school district also faces lawsuits from decades-old abuse allegations.