WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District teachers are questioning a contract proposal by district officials that hinges a 1 percent salary increase on raising attendance rates to 97 percent.
Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers President Nelly Vaquera-Boggs called that requirement unrealistic.
“They are asking us to control something that is not controllable by teachers,” she said. “We do have some sites where they have better attendance than others, but you can’t control why a student is absent.”
PVUSD Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez said that boosting attendance is necessary for the district to offer a raise, since it is not receiving any new state or federal revenue this year.
In addition, the district lost 400 students this year, which amounts to a $4 million loss to the budget, Rodriguez said.
“The only way we can recoup some of that money, and be able to add anything to the salary schedule, is to ensure that we are able to have better attendance rates,” she said.
Rodriguez said that the district plans to apply any new revenue to employees’ salary schedule.
The increase to 97 percent attendance will be a $2.7 million boost to the budget, she said.
Rodriguez said that the attendance requirement applies to all district employees, and that boosting it is controllable.
As an example, she said that about 1,200 students attended Saturday school at nine schools, which the district has long said is a major source of recouping its lost daily per-student funding.
In addition, PVUSD on March 7 will start Saturday field trips to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Rodriguez also notes that more than 1,000 students are absent on Mondays and Fridays.
“So the thought that it is only due to illness, and it is only due to socio-emotional needs doesn’t fit the data,” she said.
Another way to boost attendance, Rodriguez said, is for district employees to note when students are absent, and then talk to them, saying they missed the students, and that they expect to see them in Saturday school.
“That child, as a connection to that staff member, is going to be more likely go to Saturday Academy,” she said.
Vaquera-Boggs called that suggestion “insulting” to teachers.
“It implies that teachers are not making a connection with the students,” she said.
Rodriguez also said that the district plans a 1 percent increase next year, and that one-time money coming from the state for special education will allow for another one-time salary payment.
The teacher’s union would have to ratify the agreement for it to take effect.
Vaquera-Boggs said the district should instead restructure the salary schedule to make increases more consistent for all teachers.
“We want to improve the salary of the newer teachers,” she said. “That way when they come here they get a step in pay that it doesn’t take six years to break $50,000.”
Dozens of teachers addressed the PVUSD Board of Trustees during its Wednesday meeting, demanding that the district reconsider the requirement.
Pajaro Valley High School English teacher Jim Lucas said that starting salaries for teachers is $49,000, which leaves them barely able to afford the high rents that abound in Santa Cruz County.
“Something’s wrong here, folks,” he said. “Teacher salaries should be comparable with administration.”
Some teachers pointed out that the district employs an attendance specialist, who works in the district office.
Calabasas Elementary School first-grade teacher Sonia Quintero said that many teachers work more than one job to make ends meet.
“This does not make for better working conditions,” she said. “We do our job teaching the students. It should not be our job to raise attendance.”
