VUSD trustees approve bargaining agreement with record high 98.4% teacher approval
Looking for more information about what happened during this week’s school board meeting?
Here’s a recap of what you may have missed:
Visalia Unified School District board members approved the adoption of new English Language Development instructional materials, including English 3D, Read 180 and Systems 44 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for around $209,300.
The new learning materials provide teachers with different components in order to help them tailor instruction based on students' needs, Assistant Superintendent of Learning and Leadership Mark Thompson said.
Also at the top of the meeting, Superintendent Kirk Shrum was given high praise after nearly a year on the job with the promise of a contract extension offer coming this month.
Consent Calendar
Visalia Unified school board members voted to accept the agenda’s consent calendar, meaning no discussion on the calendar’s contents occurred.
By accepting the calendar, school board members approved the district to contract with pre-qualified school activity vendors.
Every school must complete a consultant contract; however, in order to save time, the district approved its purchasing department to collect and verify all of the required documentation from vendors submitting proposals over the last two years.
The pre-qualification process, approved for contracts for up to $2,000, will allow school sites to enter into agreements without having to complete a consultant package.
Board members also approved an agreement between Visalia Unified School District and Sandy Hook Promise Foundation’s Say Something anonymous reporting system – a free system that allows students to anonymously report issues via an app, website or hotline.
The system also teaches middle and high school students the warning signs of someone who may be at risk of hurting themselves or others, and how to say something.
School board members also approved an agreement between the district and the Tulare County Office of Education for an Intervention Resource Classroom at Golden West High School for $180,000.
Board members also approved four student service employees to attend the 2023 ASCA Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in July. The cost of the conference is around $11,200 and will come out of School Climate Transformation Grant funds.
School board members also approved an agreement between the Tulare County Office of Education and Visalia Unified School District for the TCOE IMPACT District Intern Program.
The cost of the program is $1,200 per intern, per year.
Visalia school board members also approved the adoption of the following AP textbooks:
Bedford, Freeman & Worth Biology for the AP Course, 1st Edition
Bedford, Freeman & Worth Calculus for the AP Course, 3rd Edition
Bedford, Freeman & Worth Updated Version of the Practice of Statistics for the AP Exam, 6th Edition
Pearson AP Edition of Chemistry, 6th Edition
The cost of the new textbooks is around $102,000.
School board members also approved the adoption of Fundations, Wilson Language – new learning material for phonics instruction for around 5,820 kindergarten through second-grade Visalia Unified students.
The cost of the new learning material is around $810,000.
Board members also approved a sub-award agreement for professional services between Visalia Unified and the California State University, Fresno Foundation.
The district was awarded the competitive K-16 partnership grant for $285,000. The funds, which must be spent by July 31, 2026, will be used to plan for and launch an Education Pathway at Mt. Whitney High School.
School board members approved a renewal agreement between the district and Imagine Learning LLC for Edgenuity licensing.
The program is used across the district’s sites, including Compass, Creekside Community Day School, Sequoia, Visalia Technical Early College, El Diamante, Golden West, Mt. Whitney, and Redwood high schools. The license includes on-demand tutoring and access to Edgenuity summer school courses.
The cost of the program is around $569,500.
Visalia school board members approved the district to renew its subscription/digital contract with McGraw-Hill, which provides additional access for students to Integrated Math 1 curricula.
The cost of the subscription is around $1,300.
Board members also approved a bid from H.B. Restoration for around $401,000. The company will repaint the exterior of El Diamante High School, the newest Visalia high school, which turns 21 this year.
School board members also approved the purchase of 12 new special education buses. Currently, VUSD operates 18 special education buses.
“The majority of the buses used to transport these students are becoming aged and needing replacement,” the agenda packet reads. Not only that, but the “Visalia Unified School District Special Education program is continuing to grow in student numbers."
The new buses will cost around $2.3 million and will be delivered before the end of the year.
Board members approved the district renewing its Visalia Economic Development Corporation membership for $1,500.
The nonprofit was formed in 1996 and is meant to help businesses create jobs and recruit new employers in order to create and retain jobs and strengthen Visalia’s economy.
General Agenda
School board members unanimously approved the new contract bargaining agreement between the Visalia Unified School District and Visalia Unified Teachers Association.
The contract, which received 98.4% approval from more than 900 teachers that voted on the agreement, includes an “unprecedented overall 10% salary increase.”
The increase extends to most district employees.
“It has been a very collaborative bargaining session that we have had. People may not realize we bargain all year, we started in September,” Visalia Unified Teachers Association President Greg Price said. “Thank you for the work in getting a deal done in what I am going to call record time.”
Around 8% of the proposed increase is a result of a cost-of-living increase adjustments study completed in 2019. The rest of the proposed increase results from VUTA and VUSD’s commitment to its philosophy regarding competitive salary while remaining fiscally solvent.
Board members also accepted the California School Employees Association Chapter 83’s initial bargaining proposal for the 2023/2024 school year.
The initial proposal includes three updates:
Visalia Unified will provide the full increase cost of the current health and welfare benefits for all eligible employees and dependents.
A fair and equitable salary increase to the 2022/2023 classified salary schedule.
Update, change or amend language related to leaves.
School board members also accepted Visalia Unified’s initial proposal for the 2023/2024 school year.
District interests include student growth, maintaining safe learning environments, employee success, and maintaining district reserves.
Board members also authorized the district to eliminate certain classified services for the 2023-2024 school year and to provide final notices to three employees by May 15. As background, board members adopted a resolution eliminating certain classified positions on Feb. 28, due to lack of work or lack of money.
The pink-noticed employees were notified in March; no one requested a hearing regarding their layoff. Some will move to other jobs within the district.
The eliminations will save Visalia Unified around $152,300.
School board members also listened to a first reading regarding revisions to Visalia Unified board policies. The changes are due to the California School Boards Association updating their sample board policies and advising districts to review and modify their own policies, as needed.
The Visalia Unified school board meets again for a special meeting on May 19. The next regular board meeting is at 7 p.m. on May 23 in the boardroom at the District Office at 5000 W. Cypress Ave. in Visalia.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: VUSD approves bargaining agreement with record high teacher approval
