CSEA Negotiations Update - April 30, 2021
Información Actualizada sobre las Negociaciones con CSEA- 30 de abril de 2021

District offers CSEA 15% salary and health benefits cap increase over two years

After months of negotiations with classified employees about their contract for this school year and the 2021-22 school year, Santa Rosa City Schools has offered the Classified School Employees Association Chapter 75 (CSEA) the following:

• 7.6% salary increase for the 2020-21 school year
• 7.4% salary increase for the 2021-22 school year
• 7.6% increase in the medical benefits cap for the 2020-21 school year, bringing the cap to $976 per month
• 7.4% increase in the medical benefits cap for the 2021-22 school year, bringing the cap to $1,049 per month
• A COVID-19 Bonus of $1500 for 2020-21 school year
• Bilingual Stipend for Level 1 Competency $500 beginning July 2021
• Bilingual Stipend for Level 2 Competency $1000 beginning July 2021
• Vacation Cash Out Option beginning July 2021

The total cost of the compensation above is estimated at $6.5 million

Negotiations will resume Wednesday, May 5. 

Summary of negotiations during the 2020-21 school year... Read more

Return to School 2021

• Negotiated MOU CSEA
• Negotiated MOU SRTA

SRTA Negotiations Update - March 5, 2021
Información Actualizada sobre las Negociaciones con SRTA- 5 de marzo de 2021

Santa Rosa City Schools reaches agreement with teachers union for return to in-person learning

Members of the Santa Rosa City Schools (SRCS) and Santa Rosa Teachers Association (SRTA) negotiating teams have reached a tentative agreement on a Revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Return to School 2020-2021. Although the agreement still faces a vote by union members, both sides consider it among the final steps to get students and teachers back into classrooms in-person beginning April 1, for the first time in more than a year.

Santa Rosa City Schools is the largest school district in Sonoma County, serving 15,500 students in 24 schools. SRTA represents approximately 900 certificated employees, including teachers and school  counselors. The district and its teachers, like much of California and the nation, switched to distance learning in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“With this agreement, I am thrilled that our students will soon be back at their school sites to connect with their teachers, friends and in-person learning,” said Dr. Diann Kitamura, Superintendent of Santa Rosa City Schools. “I am equally pleased that students will also have the option of remaining in distance learning if that is what they and their families choose to do.”

In a joint communication to staff and families, SRCS and SRTA highlighted these major outcomes of the MOU:

• Kinder Academy-6th grade students and Kinder Academy-12th grade Special Populations (Special Education and English learners) will return to hybrid learning beginning April 1. Elementary hybrid learning involves small stable groups of students who attend school in-person two days a week and learn remotely through distance learning three days a week.
• 7-12 grade students will return to hybrid learning beginning April 26.
• SRTA unit members will have the opportunity for two vaccines prior to returning to in-person learning on April 1 for elementary students and April 26 for secondary students.
• Students and staff will be safe on campuses through extensive agreements on physical distancing, masks, handwashing stations, and improved air quality in every indoor space.

The MOU also allows for teachers to return to their classrooms in advance of the students, for preparations including training on recognizing student social emotional concerns. It also requires a COVID Site Safety Verification Team at each school site. SRTA will hold a ratification vote March 10-17. 

“Santa Rosa City Schools has been planning for a safe return to our schools since last summer. We have navigated through ever-changing health information and requirements. The SRCS and SRTA teams coming together to finish this work is something that is appreciated by the entire community,” Kitamura said.

Learn more about extensive preparations for the return to in-person hybrid learning on our website: srcschools.org/school2021

CSEA and SRCS negotiations teams, seen with Dr. Diann Kitamura, after signing a Tentative Agreement on April 30, 2019.

CSEA Negotiations Update - April 30, 2019
Información Actualizada sobre las Negociaciones con CSEA - 30 de abril de 2019

Santa Rosa City Schools reaches tentative agreement with classified union

Santa Rosa City Schools has reached a tentative agreement with the California School Employees Association (CSEA) that includes a significant compensation increase for district classified staff for the 2019-20 school year. Classified employees are the non-teaching staff in the district, including school secretaries, food services staff and custodians.

The Tentative Agreement, through June 30, 2020, provides for a 7.5% future ongoing salary increase beginning July 1, 2019.  It also includes an additional 7.5% increase in the CSEA Health and Welfare cap, bringing the medical benefits cap to $907, and includes an additional $200 increase to dental benefits. The Tentative Agreement must still be ratified by CSEA and approved by the district's Board of Education.

“We cannot provide a quality education without our dedicated classified staff, and we are happy to have signed a tentative agreement with CSEA,” said Dr. Diann Kitamura, superintendent of Santa Rosa City Schools. “Like other districts throughout California, we know that our budget challenges are not going away. We look forward to joining with our classified staff and demanding that lawmakers in Sacramento provide the full and fair funding that all of California’s students deserve on May 22 at the State Capitol.”

The Rally for Education is being organized by the California School Boards Association in partnership with the California Teachers Association, and is scheduled for May 22 at 4:00pm on the West Steps of the Capitol. More information is available at www.fullandfairfunding.org 

Some of the members of the negotiations teams with Dr. Kitamura, after the Tentative Agreement was signed.

Negotiations Update - March 27, 2019
Información Actualizada sobre las Negociaciones – 27 de marzo de 2019

Santa Rosa City Schools reaches tentative agreement with teachers union

Santa Rosa City Schools and Santa Rosa Teachers Association (SRTA) today reached a tentative agreement that includes the following increase to compensation:

• 7% salary increase (3% in July 2019 and 4% in July 2020)
• $1,500 medical benefit cap increase over the next two years ($750 in July 2019 for a total of $6050; and $750 in July 2020 for a total of $6,800)
• $200 dental benefit increase in July 2019

Compensation and class size (Articles 14 and 16) were the only two items remaining to negotiate. District and union representatives had previously reached agreement on hours and days of employment, evaluation, and transfer and reassignment (Articles 6, 9 and 13), with the parties agreeing to:

• Two professional development days added permanently to the contract
• An additional $500,000 ongoing increase in salary for special education teachers and specialists
• Approximately $1.8 million over two years to fund class size reduction and additional secondary counselor services to provide support for students in a-g classes
• Increased access for students to high school counselors
• Funding of lead teachers and department chairs in special education
• Smaller special education classroom caseloads

The Tentative Agreement must still be ratified by SRTA and approved by the district's Board of Education. “We believe in our teachers, and we are happy to have signed a tentative agreement with SRTA that supports their valued service to our students,” said Dr. Diann Kitamura, superintendent of Santa Rosa City Schools.