An eight-month-long process of contract negotiations between the Coronado Unified School District and the Association of Coronado Teachers came to a close after the two parties reached agreement on a 4% salary increase for teachers.
The union’s initial demand for 10% more pay was rejected by the district as it faces substantial budget shortfalls, which have already resulted in reductions to staffing.
Alexia Palacios-Peters, the president of the governing board, said at a Nov. 18 special meeting that she wishes the district could afford to give teachers the pay requested, but she also has a responsibility as a trustee to keep the district solvent and maintain core programs for students.
Members of the union have been vocal about their demands throughout the negotiation process. At a Coronado Unified School Board meeting in May, Katie Quinly, who is part of the union’s negotiation team and has been a special education teacher in Coronado for 13 years, said experienced staffers are leaving Coronado for positions with better pay.
Meanwhile, district officials agreed at the Nov. 18 meeting that teachers deserve to be paid more, but said their hands are tied in terms of what the district can afford.
The union’s negotiations team did not respond on deadline to provide a comment about the agreed upon 4%.
The 4% salary increase will be attributed to the 2024-2025 fiscal year, meaning employees will have a 3% increase retroactive to July 1, 2024 and an additional 1% increase effective Jan. 1, 2025.
The impact of the agreement will increase the budget shortfall from $2.3 million to $3.8 million. This total reflects the deficit from now until 2027, when the district will shift to a new revenue system known as basic aid.
Until then, the district – with more than 2,700 students and 380 employees – needs to find solutions for additional cuts, which Palacios Peters said will be discussed at the December board meeting.
“Unfortunately, this negotiation cycle came with additional costs: Strained relationships, distrust and time – either from our teachers being out of the classroom or administrators having their focus taken away from their respective sites and departments – legal fees and morale,” said Palacios-Peters.
“As we move into negotiations again this spring, I would urge everyone to take time to refocus, mend relationships and find a way to collaborate moving forward,” she added. “This prolonged process expended time and money on both sides that could have been spent on our students.”
