(This is taken from an HUSD press release.)
The Hemet Unified School District on Thursday, May 25, announced that the district and the Hemet Teachers Association reached a tentative agreement for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years.
Both parties mutually agreed to enter into mediation on Monday, March 29, regarding Article 9 Salary and Article 8 Benefits. The tentative agreement includes language modification in several articles, as well as an increase to salary.
The tentative agreement states that all certificated salary schedules will be adjusted to reflect a 1.5-percent increase, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2017, for the 2016-17 school year; a 0.5-percent increase effective July 1, 2017; and another 1.5-percent increase will be applied on Jan. 1, 2018, for the 2017-18 school year.
The entire contract is now closed and all tentative agreements reached by the negotiation teams will be incorporated into the new contract pending ratification of HTA members and approval by the Governing Board of Education.
In addition to the increases in salary schedule, HUSD also agreed to provide an annual stipend of $750 to school psychologists who are Nationally Board Certified; an annual stipend of $3,000 to the agricultural service provider; and increase retiree health and welfare benefits from $3,500 to $4,500.
HTA President William Valenzuela said, “There were many incremental improvements made on several issues that will serve our students and educators better in the future. This deal advances our great public schools and the lives of the professionals who make them so. We will never stop fighting to ensure our schools are filled with the quality, caring individuals that our community has become known for.”
“I want to thank the negotiation teams for their diligent efforts in reaching a resolution,” said HUSD Superintendent Christi Barrett. “We are thankful that the relationship between the District and HTA has remained strong throughout the negotiations process. This resolution will allow us to remain focused on the most important work of the district, our students’ success.”
