ENCINITAS — Teachers, counselors and other certified staff in the San Dieguito Union High School District will see a 4.5% wage increase under a tentative agreement approved by the school board last week.
The San Dieguito Faculty Association (SDFA) and the school district reached an agreement on Jan. 24 that includes a 4.5% increase retroactive to July 2023.
The agreement also includes a prior memorandum of understanding for increased health care contributions from the district.
Superintendent Anne Staffieri praised the district and SDFA negotiation teams for their work in coming to an agreement at the board’s Feb. 15 meeting, the first to be held in the newly-renovated district office along Encinitas Boulevard.
“I would like to publicly thank SDFA leadership and the negotiation team for their collaborative experience in reaching this tentative agreement. I want to thank them for all of their efforts this year,” Staffieri said.
San Dieguito Academy English teacher and SDFA negotiating team member Christopher Black said he appreciated the “positive, professional negotiating process” with district leadership, including Staffieri.
He noted that the negotiating process has ebbed and flowed over the years, but that this most recent agreement was achieved with mutual respect and strong leadership.
“While it may have taken a bit longer than both sides of the table would have liked, we were very encouraged by how it ended — with a resolution, should you vote to ratify, that validates the hard work that our certificated staff puts in each and every day to ensure that our students feel loved and supported,” Black said.
Board members ratified the agreement unanimously.
“I love when you hear both sides talk about collaboration and respect and everyone’s smiling. I think that’s a rare thing in negotiations, and it was just really fun to witness tonight,” said Trustee Katrina Young.
SDFA represents over 600 certificated staff members, including teachers, counselors, social workers, school psychologists, speech and language therapists and district nurses.
This story was updated to remove a reference to 4.3% and 4.1% salary increases over the next two years. These numbers were projections, not confirmed increases as part of this agreement.
