Over 6000 SCUSD Students Lack a Fully Credentialed Teacher, Another 2500 Students Have No Teacher At All

• Over 600 students still waiting to be enrolled in Independent Study due to staffing shortages
• And SCUSD is responding to crisis by proposing a 5-year wage freeze for teachers, and demanding health-care concessions that will result in $750 per month cut in the average teacher’s take-home pay
• By comparison, during the same five-year period he is demanding wage freezes, Superintendent Aguilar’s pay will increase by 17.5%.  

Students in Sac City are suffering, and Superintendent Aguilar (with the support of the school board) are making matters worse.

According to information recently provided by the District, since classes began on September 2, substitute teachers have filled 201 certificated vacancies per day on average, and additional 54 vacancies per day have gone “unfilled.” On October 8, the number of “unfilled” positions was 94.

Unlike other school districts (including others that are in significantly worse financial shape than SCUSD) that are offering salary increases and other significant incentives to recruit and retain staff, SCUSD’s demands for concessions from teachers have became even more extreme. On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, SCUSD made its most recent demands to teachers as as a package proposal, meaning take it or leave it.. The District reiterated it was maintaining all of its previous takeaway proposals, as well as additional or changed demands in the following areas:

1. A 5-Year Wage Freeze; Until Wednesday, the District’s unacceptable demand for wage freezes was for three years: school years 19-20. 20-21, an 21-22. On Wednesday, the District increased its demand for an additional two years–22-23 and 23-24. You can view the SCUSD proposal here. By comparison, during the same five-year period he is demanding wage freezes, Superintendent Aguilar’s pay will increase by 17.5%.  
2. Concessions in Health Insurance that Would Result in $750 PER MONTH Reductions in Take-Home Pay. In addition, to the new 5-year wage freeze demand, the District re-proposed its demand for significant cuts in health insurance, including the right to change insurance at any time to any plan the District determines is “appropriate” and increasing costs to employees that would reduce the take-home pay by an average of $750 per month per employee, or $9000 per year. Some employees would see their health insurance costs increase by $17,500 or more per year. You can view the SCUSD proposal on benefits here.
3. Increased Work Time for Staff, Without Additional Compensation: If a 5-year wage freeze and enormous reductions in take-home pay through health insurance concessions weren’t enough, SCUSD re-proposed significant changes to the employees’ work day, including eliminating pay for educators who work through their prep periods and other unnecessary changes.
4. Off-Salary Schedule One-Time Payments: As part of its take it or leave it proposal, the District offered three one-time payments of $1000 per year (before taxes) for 21-22, 22-23, 23-24. The payments, according to the District, are “to address additional costs and duties related to COVID-19, less any and all applicable taxes and withholdings.” The District specifically excludes substitutes from receiving the payments. For the average regular staff member, the one-time payments would only offset $1000 of the $9000 per year average reduction in take-home pay for three years. The $9000 reduction would continue in perpetuity. And no one would be eligible for even these one-time payments unless teachers agreed to every other concession the District is demanding–including the 5-year wage freeze.

The District’s proposal rejects an olive branch that educators presented to Superintendent Aguilar and the school board on August 25.

In order to work together to focus on these crises, we proposed to extend our contract with a modest salary increase (3.5%) through June 30, 2022. You can view our proposal here.

It took the District nearly two month to provide its response.

SCUSD is in crisis. Students are suffering. When will the school board ensure that our students receive the services they deserve?