The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District and the Faculty Association held a meeting for contract negotiations Wednesday and announced they were at an impasse.
SMJUHSD offered to give a raise up to two percent for the 2018-2019 school year, including an increase to the salary schedule. The FA, on the other hand, went for a 3.75 percent raise petition. According to the district, this led to a deadlock during the negotiations.
“We believe our total pay and compensation proposal was more than fair considering our teachers are the highest compensated high school teachers in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties,” Assistant Superintendent Kevin Platt said.
The FA was seeking a higher percentage for the raise due to the Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA. The COLA spreads out to cover areas like school supplies, increase in gas costs, utilities and more.
Although the FA and SMJUHSD did not reach an agreement, the STRS and PERS programs for district employees will increase to $4.5 million in the 2019-2020 year.
The associations will have to take their negotiations to a state mediator to determine the next course of action. No date for that meeting has been set yet.
