Dear PUSD Community,
We are pleased to announce that Porterville Unified School District and the California School Employees Association (CSEA) Chapter #38 have reached a tentative agreement for the 2025-26 school year on May 20, 2025. This agreement will move first to member ratification and will be reviewed by the County Office of Education to complete the AB 1200 process. After these steps are completed, it will be presented for final approval by the Governing Board in June.
Key Benefits for Classified Staff
Compensation Improvements:
- 1.35% base salary increase effective July 1, 2025
- Additional increase up to 1.5% tied to ADA recovery (increased student attendance), effective January 1, 2026
- Comparable treatment provision ensuring equity across employee groups
Professional Development Incentives:
- $500 - $1,000 stipends for completing safety and job-specific training
- Degree recognition stipends of $250-$750 for relevant educational achievements
- Bilingual proficiency stipend of $125 for verified Spanish language ability
Enhanced Benefits and Working Conditions:
- Health benefits cap maintained at $19,500 for 2025-26 (the second consecutive year at this enhanced level)
- Health Reimbursement Arrangements of $500 or $1,000 to offset premiums —a unique benefit made possible by our self-insurance model that allows the district to share favorable claims experience directly with employees
- Improved uniform and safety equipment provisions
- Streamlined transfer and job vacancy processes
Total potential compensation increase ranges from 1.35% to 2.85% plus professional development stipends and health reimbursements.
Balanced Approach to Fiscal Responsibility
This agreement reflects careful attention to both employee needs and district financial realities. Key features include:
- Immediate base increases providing predictable compensation growth
- Revenue alignment—an ADA-contingent clause that aligns compensation with available ongoing revenue, automatically increasing compensation if ADA improves and protecting existing student programs and staff.
- Strategic use of restricted funds for professional development and benefit enhancements
- Collaborative benefit management—maintaining the enhanced $19,500 health cap for the second consecutive year while utilizing our self-insurance model's flexibility to provide Health Reimbursement Arrangements that directly benefit employees
- Investment in employee skills that directly benefit students and campus safety
We thank the negotiating teams for their collaborative approach throughout this process and recognize all classified professionals whose work supports our students daily.
Sincerely,
Nate Nelson, Ed.D. Shellee Plaisted
Superintendent President
Porterville Unified School District CSEA Chapter No. 38