Superintendent Rodriguez-Chien: Budget, Consolidation Challenge School District
By Dr. Jeanette Rodriguez-Chien, Superintendent, Sonoma Valley Unified School District
The Sonoma Unified School District has had several challenges. And now those challenges are leading to many difficult decisions that have to be made to not only address its budget issues, but also to improve the quality of programs and services for students.
The budget deficit is causing the district to make difficult decisions in reducing staff and programs. The budget problems have been long standing and now the County Office of Education is letting the district know that we will have to continue making budget reductions over time to bring stability to the budget, to meet the minimum required reserves, and to plan for future required expenditures, like new curriculum, courses, and programs.
Another challenge the district is facing is school consolidation, which is partly driven by the budget difficulties. In addition to cost savings that could help balance the budget, school consolidation decisions also center around improving the quality of programs and the ability to offer more courses. By allocating resources like staff, programs and technology more efficiently, the quality of programming and services improves. Sonoma Valley student enrollment has declined dramatically over the past decade and that decline is expected to continue, according to a demography report presented to the Board of Trustees by Davis Demographics. This is a trend we see all over California, and many school districts across the state are faced with the same challenge of consolidating schools.
These challenges also impact the negotiation process with our labor partners. Compensating our staff is a priority for our district and it has become a challenge when there are limited resources to continue to give large increases in pay. Teacher salaries are a central focus of negotiations, particularly as districts strive to attract and retain qualified educators. But finding room in the budget for pay increases can be challenging when significant raises in the recent past have been given and are ongoing. As labor costs often constitute the largest share of a school district’s expenditures, any significant increases in teacher pay can strain a district’s financial resources. Additionally, a core goal of every school district is to provide high-quality education. Negotiations that overly focus on one aspect, such as salaries, may inadvertently lead to cuts in essential programs, especially when funding is limited.
Another aspect of negotiations with Valley of the Moon Teachers Association (VMTA) has been the issue of class size. It is important to note that class sizes are determined by an agreement between VMTA and the district through the collective bargaining process. The class size norms are set by grade level. Class sizes will remain the same after school consolidation decisions are made and will not change unless mutually agreed upon by VMTA and the district. If a class size is over the agreed-upon norm, there is also a clause in the collective bargaining agreement that an “overage” amount is paid to a teacher. Although research has demonstrated that class size does not have a large effect on improved student outcomes (Hattie, Visible Learning, 2008, 2023), the district does want to ensure that students have a productive learning environment where students can build relationships with their teachers and peers. This means ensuring a balance between class size and the number of staff.
Collaborative negotiations is a bargaining approach that seeks to foster a positive, constructive relationship between teachers unions and school districts. Instead of taking an adversarial stance, collaborative negotiations focus on problem-solving and shared goals, ensuring the best interests of both parties and, most importantly, students. VMTA and the district continue in mediation and the goal is to work collaboratively to come to a contract agreement. We would like to ensure that teacher negotiations lead to positive outcomes for teachers, students and the entire educational community. The ultimate goal is to build an educational environment where financial constraints do not undermine the quality of education, but instead create opportunities for strategic, sustainable growth.
