BUSD approves 2.5% salary increase, stipend adjustments for district teachers

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The Bonsall Unified School District board approved a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the Bonsall Teachers Association.

The agreement approved on a 5-0 BUSD board vote June 15 is tentative because it needs ratification from the Bonsall Teachers Association members. The negotiations between BUSD staff and BTA representatives resulted in a tentative collective bargaining agreement which increases the 2021-22 salary schedule amounts by 2.5% and also adjusts stipends.

“We value all of our teachers tremendously, and we are excited to have reached an agreement to continue the strong support of our teachers association. They’re the very foundation of what’s special about our school district,” said BUSD superintendent Joseph Clevenger. “I’m very pleased we were able to reach an agreement in an efficient and effective manner.”

Some of the existing stipend amounts were adjusted, including changes from a fixed stipend to a per-situation stipend, while new stipends were added. “We put in a significant amount of ongoing support for our stipends as well,” Clevenger said. “Many of these programs, clubs, activities, it’s the very foundation of how students connect to the school.”

Under the previous agreement, the sixth-grade camp faculty member stipend was $500. The stipend is now for any overnight camp and the stipend is $150 per night. The $1,500 band and choir stipends have been replaced by a performing arts stipend of $1,000 per discipline. That does not include the high school theater director, who will receive a $5,000 stipend; that position was not in the previous collective bargaining agreement.

A stipend of $1,250 was added for induction support providers. The new stipends also include $4,000 for the lead secondary English Language Development faculty member, $4,000 for the independent study lead, and $4,000 for special education leads at the elementary and secondary levels. A new stipend of $3,000 will be paid to the speech and debate faculty advisor.

The Bonsall High School athletic director had been receiving an annual stipend of $6,000, and she will now be paid $9,000 for her athletic director duties. She also receives reimbursement for gas to travel to Bonsall High School road competitions. “That is a good first step,” Clevenger said.

The stipend for the Sullivan Middle School athletic director was increased from $2,300 to $2,500. The Bonsall High School varsity coaches who had been receiving a $2,300 stipend per CIF team will have stipends of $3,400 per sport. Sullivan Middle School varsity coaches had received a $2,000 stipend and will now be paid $2,500 per sport. The new agreement also adds stipends for Sullivan junior varsity coaches, who will receive $2,200 per sport.