Trustees at the San Ramon Valley Unified School District are slated Tuesday to review budget assumptions for the upcoming school year, in addition to considering raises for management staff and cabinet members that align with earlier raises for educators and school employees.

Following approval of agreements with the San Ramon Valley Education Association, the California School Employees Association and the Service Employees International Union in recent months that saw salary increases for both represented groups, confidential employees, management and upper administration are recommended to receive salary increases at the same rate.

The proposed agreement for management and confidential employees in the district sees an increase of more than $1.1 million in spending on salary and benefit increases, up by 4.55%. This would be the result of a 1% salary increase effective July 2020, a 3% salary increase effective July 2021, and 1% one-time payout based on salary placement as of November 2021.

A staff report prepared for the item on Tuesday's agenda points to agreements between the district and its three bargaining units that saw the same increase in payments for workers in all three groups, and to a "longstanding practice" in the district of extending increases for represented employees to non-represented management and confidential employees.

"Accordingly, staff requests that the board apply the same ongoing increases to the salary schedules for all Tier IV management and confidential employees with the same effective dates and approve the same one-time payments to Tier IV management and confidential employees as provided to the District's represented employees," said the staff report signed by Keith Rogenski, assistant superintendent of human resources, and Superintendent John Malloy.

Staff are recommending that the board approve the proposed salary step increases at approximately $954,000 combined, as well as addenda providing for the 1% one-time payment for Rogenski and Malloy, as well as Chief Business Officer Daniel Hillman and Christine Huajardo, assistant superintendent of educational services, amounting to an additional $57,600.

The salary adjustments are within budget according to assumptions for the upcoming year according to staff and the Contra Costa County Office of Education.

The SRVUSD Board of Education's open meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday (March 29). See the full agenda here.

In other business

* Staff are recommending the creation of a new administrative position and the revision of several others. The move comes after the district eliminated Hillman's previous position as assistant superintendent of business operations and facilities, following his appointment as chief business officer last November when Greg Medici left the position.

The board will consider approving a job description for a new position of supervisor of custodial services, as well as staffing the position should it be approved.

As part of the same agenda item, staff are recommending that the board approve revisions to the job description for assistant to the superintendent, and reclassifying it to be on the Tier IV Management salary schedule. They also recommend adjusting pay rates for the district's five educational services coordinators, from E1 to E5 on the Tier IV salary schedule, starting with the next academic year. They also recommend staffing a full-time curriculum coordinator in the educational services department, which would be paid for using exclusively external funds, not from the General Fund.

* The proposed increases in spending for management and certificated staff in the district are set for discussion following a presentation on budget assumptions for the 2022-23 academic year.

The presentation on budget assumptions points to a report from the Department of Finance, which notes that state revenues are 15% higher than the January governors’ estimates, with tax revenue above projections in three major areas. This consists of a 12.3% more in personal income tax; 6.3% increase more sales and use tax, and a 78.4% more in corporate tax, than was estimated.

While the presentation points to projections about the national inflation level, and state spending limits with reduced legislative discretion on surplus spending, it notes that these factors have a greater impact on non-educational programs such as childcare and healthcare.

The budget assumptions take into account a continued decrease in enrollment at the district, assuming a reduction of 275 students per year through the 2024-25 academic year. They also factor in a steady attendance rate of 96.73%, down from historical rates of 97% and more.

* Staff recommend the board approve two additional half-time assistant principal positions, at Iron Horse and Pine Valley middle schools, which would cost $170,000 from the general fund if approved.

* The board will discuss a statewide ballot initiative called "Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee Accountability Act", which would provide dedicated funding for arts and music programs in K-12 public schools.

"Over the years arts and music programs have been in steady decline due to inadequate and unstable funding," the staff report from Malloy's office said. "Music and art are the first to suffer in tough budget years. Education in the arts is worthy of additional funding from the State of California."