Dixon Unified School District’s Negotiation Update with Dixon Teacher’s Association
10.16.24
Curious about the negotiations between Dixon Unified School District (DUSD) and the Dixon Teacher’s Association (DTA)? This is a timeline outlining what has been happening the past few months. The timeline will be updated occasionally when there are additional updates to share.
Timeline
End of Last School Year
As of May of 2024, DTA had requested an 11.36% salary increase for 23-24 and DUSD had made an offer of a 5% salary increase with a $2,000 one-time payment for 23-24.
In June, DUSD took action to amend Board Policy 3100: Budget and Board Policy 3100.01: Reserve for Economic Uncertainty related to financial reserves to reduce DUSD’s reserve requirement to the state minimum of 3%. At the prior Board meeting, DUSD was also required to adopt Resolution No. 24-6723, Resolution Regarding Budget Reduction in 2026/27 to cut $943,233 dollars to prevent DUSD from falling below the state required 3% reserve due to projected unrestricted fund deficits of $1.9 million dollars, $1.9 million dollars, and $1.8 million dollars in the three subsequent out years.
Near the end of May, the parties declared Impasse and requested a state mediator. A meeting with DTA, DUSD, and a state mediator was set for Thursday, October 10, 2024.
24-25 School Year: Pre-Mediation
New district leadership joined the district in the summer and early fall. While new district leadership was being hired and on-boarded a third-party firm was retained to support the district with an independent review of its budget.
Through the third-party firm’s work of completing the Unaudited Actuals the district was able to identify costs that could be covered by expiring one-time COVID related funding and Expanded Learning Opportunity Program funds. The utilization of these one-time funds provided the district with additional time to make the systemic changes necessary to ensure the district’s budget is structurally sound.
At the October 3, 2024, Board meeting the Board passed a Budget Reduction Plan to comply with Resolution No. 24-6723 and cut $1 million dollars. At this meeting, DUSD also announced its guiding priorities for Budget Management:
1. A budget designed to provide an excellent education for all students.
2. A budget that strives to provide competitive wages for staff to acknowledge the great work they do on behalf of Dixon students.
3. Develop and oversee a structurally sound budget, using best practices in budget management.
On Friday, September 27, 2024, the new DUSD negotiations team requested an opportunity to meet before Mediation began to continue to negotiate a mutually agreeable settlement. DTA agreed to meet. Both sides agreed to almost all of the contract language proposals in Article XII – Hours of Employment but were unable to reach agreement on salary.
After numerous exchanges of proposals, DUSD offered a 5% salary increase with a $2,000 one-time payment for 23-24 and a 3% salary increase for 24-25. The state Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 24-25 is 1.07%. DUSD’s proposal constitutes an 8% increase over two years with $2,000 one-time. This proposal would result in Dixon Unified School District running projected unrestricted fund deficits of $4.5 million this year, $2.4 million next year, and $2.3 million the following year and require DUSD to make future cuts to ensure fiscal solvency.
DTA’s last salary proposal on Friday, September 27, 2024, was a 10% salary increase with a $2,000 one-time payment for 23-24 and a 3% salary increase for 24-25. This proposal would result in Dixon Unified School District running projected unrestricted fund deficits of $6.7 million this year, $3.7 million next year, and $3.6 million the following year. DUSD would have a negative fund balance before the end of school year 2026-27.
Both sides agreed that the DTA Salary Schedule needs to be improved while keeping DUSD financially healthy. The disagreement revolved around how quickly DUSD could make improvements to the DTA Salary Schedule without getting itself into financial difficulties. Both sides agreed they would continue to meet with the State Mediator on October 10, 2024.
24-25 School Year: Mediation
On Thursday, October 10, 2024, the District and DTA met with the State Mediator. Due to agreements made with the State Mediator, neither side can share what happened during Mediation, except to say that progress was made by both sides and both sides will meet with the State Mediator again on Wednesday, October 30, 2024.
DUSD remains committed to continuing to meet with DTA, both with the State Mediator and outside of mediation to reach agreement.
24-25 School Year: October 30, 2024 Mediation Update