School District Nearly Done with Employee Negotiations

In a critical and potentially job-saving last step in its ongoing budget cutting/planning process, the Santa Barbara Unified School District is poised to wrap up contract negotiations with its classified employees. Much as it did earlier this month with its teachers’ union, the district has negotiated a contract wrinkle with the local chapter of the California School Employees Association that allows for a sliding scale of potential furlough days (a maximum of 10) each year for the next three fiscal years that is directly linked to what, if any, student funding reduction is passed along by the state. The agreement will be voted on at a special meeting of the district’s Board of Education later this week.