Newman Crows-Landing Unified School District Board of Education approved salary schedules for classified and certificated management employees for the 2024-25 school year following a 3-2 vote last Monday.
Classified management employees, which include chief business officer, licensed vocational nurse and data specialist, will see an annual hourly rate increase of roughly 4.5% through the first six years. The Chief Business Officer will receive the largest hourly rate increase, going from $56.20 in the first year to $73.08 in year six.
Certificated management employees which include assistant superintendent, principals and speech therapist, will have roughly a 3.19% annual salary increase. The Assistant Superintendent will see an increase of $25,722 in their annual salary from year one to year six, the most amongst certificated management employees.
Additionally, both managements will receive a health benefit cap of $21,137.88.
Board members Derek Wach and Lyzette Gonzalez voted against the agenda item. The two board members along with public commenters were amongst the individuals who voiced their concerns about the salary schedule during an Oct.13 meeting.
Wach, during the meeting, asked about the disparity in funds for healthcare benefits for certificated management and how it compared to the teachers association and classified management. Gonzalez said the district needs to look into benefit equity between certificated management, the teachers association and classified management.
The change was set for a vote, but was delayed for further discussion.
During last Monday’s meeting, Wach proposed the idea of doing a study about district employee’s salary that could include looking into teacher salaries, longevity pay, health benefits and how it was previously. He supported the suggestion by Chief Business Official Cynthia Tapia of including how the district decided its current offer. Board President Don Cabral, who voted for the salary schedule change, supported Wach’s idea.
“A lot of people at this table weren’t even in the district, so get a clear understanding of what sort of was agreed upon in the past,” Wach said.
The district will move forward with Wach’s idea following approval from board members.
