South Lake Tahoe teachers and school district reach a tentative agreement

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) has reached a tentative agreement with the South Tahoe Educator's Association (STEA).

The two groups have been in mediation to resolve an impasse with this year's contract negotiations. Teachers filled the LTUSD Board meeting earlier this year to plead their case. The agreement still needs to go to them for ratification and adoption.

The terms of the tentative agreement are as follows:

1. For the contract year of 2018-2019, STEA will receive a retroactive general salary increase to the current Certificated Salary Schedule, Appendix A, the Professional Teacher Increments, CTE, longevity and the stipend granted for every Master’s and/or Doctorate degree of 2.0 percent effective July 1, 2018;

2. For the contract year of 2019-2020, STEA will receive a general salary increase to the current Certificated Salary Schedule, Appendix A, the Professional Teacher Increments, CTE, longevity and the stipend granted for every Master’s and/or Doctorate degree of 3.25 percent effective July 1, 2019, and an increase of 0.25 percent, which is equivalent to $250, to the health & benefit cap for active members and retirees effective on October 1, 2020;

3. If the statutory COLA for the 2019-2020 May Revise is less than 3.25 percent, LTUSD shall have the right to request a reopener to revisit Article XXVII;

4. Similarly, if the statutory COLA for the 2019-2020 May Revise is greater than 3.46 percent, STEA shall have the right to request a reopener to revisit Article XXVII; and,

5. This Agreement, hereby, incorporates all other single-issue tentative agreements the Parties have executed during their prior negotiations;

6. Except as provided in Paragraph 3 and Paragraph 4, this Agreement closes all further contract negotiations for the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which expires on June 30, 2020.

Salaries are negotiated for the school year already in progress, once funding from the State and enrollment, among other variables, are known.

“The District values your service and all that you do for our students and families," LTUSD wrote to Certified Staff members on Wednesday. "With the state of education in California, we recognize and appreciate the complexities and challenges that you face each day as you prepare your students for the future."

Classified employees (support staff) are part of the California School Employee's Association (CSEA) and normally receive the same agreement as do the teachers, but that still needs to go to their group for ratification.

Classified and certificated management, along with Confidential employees will also follow with the same increase.

Every year LTSUD has to go to Collective Bargaining with both the STEA and CSEA. CSEA had previously approved the proposal and the District was waiting for the action today to move forward.