Deal Could Give Benicia Teachers First Across-the-Board Raise in 5 Years

All Benicia teachers could soon get a raise–the first increase to salary schedules across the district in five years.

The Benicia Unified School Board on Thursday will vote on a two-year tentative agreement with the Benicia Teachers Association–a deal that took a year and six sessions at the bargaining table to negotiate. The deal would provide for a 2.5 percent raise for this school year–retroactive to last July–and another 2.5 percent raise this July.

Benicia Teachers Association President Carleen Maselli said members of the union were hoping for a better deal, but "desperately needed to see some type of increase" to offset increases in their bills and other costs.

"BTA would have liked to see a bit more than 5 percent total considering that Proposition 30 will bring new money into the district over the next several years and teachers have seen no increases (and had some temporary cuts via furlough days and reduced stipends) in five years, and the district carries a healthy 20 percent reserve," Maselli said in an email. "However, we also understand that funding will be somewhat flat next year."

Some of the other provisions of the deal school board trustees are set to vote on this week:

• A previous deal to reduce class sizes will be extended for three years.
• Teachers at the top of the salary range will receive a 1 percent raise. Maselli said it takes a teacher 24 years to max out on that scale, at which point they will earn $74,000 (on the current salary schedule).
• The district will contribute $50 more per month toward teachers' benefits. "Unfortunately, that amount will most likely be swallowed up by the continuing double digit increases we see to our health care plans this year," Maselli said.
• Stipends, which Maselli said have been cut 40 percent in the past two years, will be restored.
• A task force will be created to look at "alternative schedules that would allow more collaboration time among teachers," Maselli said.

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Benicia Unified School District trustees will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at 350 East K St.

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