Amid negotiations between district administration and staff regarding pay increases, The Campanile thinks the union and the district need to take a more collaborative approach. Administrators should cooperate with staff to reach a reasonable agreement for teacher pay raises, and the Palo Alto Educator’s Association should also be understanding of financial limitations placed on the district.
In recent negotiations, PAEA has requested a 9% salary increase this year, and an 8% raise the next year. In response, PAUSD offered a 4% salary increase for the current school year, with a 3% increase in the following year, as well as continued health benefits through the 2027-2028 school year and two $3,000 bonuses.
Although The Campanile applauds PAUSD for its willingness to offer benefits and bonuses to educators, we think the district isn’t being fair.
Currently, neighboring districts provide greater pay to their educators. On average, Mountain View Los Altos first-year high school teachers receive $101,947 while PAUSD teachers in their first year earn $76,488. PAUSD is a school district that prides itself on being top-ranked in educational quality, and the teachers who make that education possible should earn a salary reflecting their work.However, it’s essential to note teacher salary figures do not include healthcare benefits. Alongside salary, PAUSD also helps pay for a teacher’s medical, dental and vision coverage along with other benefits like life insurance. Thus, The Campanile thinks some arguments regarding employee pay are too narrow, since salary figures do not account for the cost of providing benefits to teachers.
Ultimately, though, teachers provide enormous benefits to the school district and the community, and The Campanile wholeheartedly thinks they deserve to be fairly compensated. It is teachers who check in on struggling students and connect them with greater resources. It is teachers who introduce students to their passions and inspire students to pursue them to greater heights. It is teachers who provide safe spaces for marginalized students on campus. They educate the future and ensure student wellbeing. Their pay should reflect that.
And while The Campanile acknowledges the practical limitations of what the district is able to offer in raises to employees — according to Chief Business Officer Charen Yu, even a 2% raise with continued health coverage through the 2027-28 school year would cost $27.2 million over three years – we think a greater problem is an erosion of trust and empathy between the teachers and the district.
The school board’s current budget plan, which aims to generate approximately $2.5–$2.8 million in ongoing saving” during the school year is especially hypocritical, considering the recent separation agreements between former Superintendent Don Austin and former Acting Superintendent Trent Bahadursingh which cost the district nearly $1 million, while providing zero education value to the community..
Thus, while The Campanile recognizes the district is limited in its finances, it needs to be more careful in ensuring the money it spends goes to the right places, such as paying educators.
The function of a school is to educate future citizens and leaders, and it is the job of the district to both invest meaningfully in educators, and also treat educators with respect and dignity. While The Campanile acknowledges that there are real limitations to what the district is able to offer, the district should be making more of an effort to understand where teachers are coming from and should be less fiscally conservative with the budget.