Vallecitos School District approves collective bargaining agreement with VEA

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The Vallecitos School District board held a special meeting Dec. 17 to approve a collective bargaining agreement with the Vallecitos Educators Association.

The board voted 5-0 to approve the one-year agreement which includes a salary increase of 3% retroactive to July 1, 2021, with potential additional increases based on retirements. Increases to health and welfare benefits are also addressed in the agreement.

“This is definitely nice to have this behind us for the year,” said Vallecitos School District Board President Michael Darnley.

The pay for Vallecitos Elementary School teachers has a step and column formula basing pay on experience and educational units. If teachers retire they would be replaced by a newer teacher at a lower pay scale. That savings would be used for additional pay increases for the remaining Vallecitos teachers.

“We’ll be able to be much more competitive,” said Vallecitos School District business manager Linda Miller. “This is really a win-win.”

Seven of the 11 Vallecitos Elementary School teachers are at the top of the pay scale. Each retirement would disencumber between $105,000 and $110,000, depending on fringe benefits. “We’re looking at a significant savings,” Miller said.

The salaries would increase by an additional 1% for each certificated teacher submitting a notice of retirement effective June 30, 2022, up to a maximum 6% increase. The district-paid health benefits were increased to cover the health plan cost for school district employees. The new collective bargaining agreement also makes minor revisions to the grievance procedures related to timelines for filing and processing grievances.