The Bulletin
Manteca Unified when 2029 rolls around will be able to mark something that is relatively rare among California’s 937 school districts — a decade of harmony when It comes to salary negotiations.
It is the direct result of the school board and the Manteca Educators agreeing to a plan that sets aside 85 percent of all new cost of living adjustment (COLA) dollars from the State of California for teacher salaries and benefits
And how that money is applied to salaries and benefits is collectively left up to the teachers.
“It reflects the value of teachers,” noted MUSD Superintendent Clark Burke said of the salary arrangement.
He also noted it provides stability for everyone involved, especially students.
The lack of upheaved over negotiations doesn’t distract from the classroom.
And the process assures the district either has the highest compensation rate in the region or close to it.
What that means is less teacher turnover and — when wedded with endeavors that have placed the latest educational tools in the classrooms as well the effort underway to modernize school facilities for the needs and demands of 21st century education — it helps give the district an edge in securing new teachers.
It is based on a simple and undeniable premise.
Historically, 85 percent of all COLA funds the district receives has ended up going to salaries and benefits of employees after each year or so of going through endless offers and counteroffers in negotiations.
The end result in terms of “constant dollars” — the year the 85 percent set side started -— is that teachers have beaten the rate of inflation.
“It‘s barely above the accumulative rate of inflation, but it does beat inflation,” Deputy Superintendent Roger Goatcher who handles negotiations noted.
That said, it doesn’t mean teachers don’t get actual pay raises per se.
An example is a teacher hired 10 years ago at the first step on the salary schedule.
They gained 23.8 percent in their starting salary from the 85 percent set aside from the COLA set aside plus 23.4 percent increase across salary steps.
“(Their compensation) increase effectively topped 47 percent in 10 years,” Goatcher pointed out.
That’s not all.
The MEA and district have agreed to stipends for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 negotiations that were completed and signed as done deals.
They are:
*A one-time stipend of $2,600 for the 2024-25 school year.
*A stipend of either additional days off or extra pay for several days if a teacher is reassigned in June or July for the upcoming school year.
*Stipends of $200 a month per student for voluntarily agreeing to teach a classroom where the student load exceeds the maximum contracted level by one or two students.
*Special education teachers will receive a stipend if a paraprofessional is unavailable for a day that triggers a need to rework their curriculum planning.
*A stipend if they agree to oversee and run and expanded learning activity after school such as a club just like a stipend a teacher receives for coaching a sports team.
*Stipends if a teacher oversees standardized test makeups or tutors.
*Reimbursement for classes required for teachers in the administrative internship program.
*A one-time stipend of $2,500 for the 2025-26 school year.
*Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the 27th row in step pay increases — which is zero— will be removed to reduce the number of years an educator needs to max out their base pay from 28 to 27 years.
The district and the MEA have agreed to sign a new successor agreement at the conclusion of the 2023-26 agreement.
The successor agreement will continue the use of 85 percent of COLA revenues to fund staff raises and benefits.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
