Raises coming for CCSD support staff, administrators

The Clark County School Board voted Friday to approve collective bargaining agreements with pay raises for two employee unions.

The district reached a tentative agreement last week with the Clark County Association of School Administrators and Professional-Technical Employees, and on Tuesday with the Education Support Employees Association and Teamsters Local 14.

Both agreements are for two years — the upcoming school year that begins Monday and the 2024-25 school year.

The agreements received unanimous board support among trustees who cast votes. Trustee Lisa Guzman abstained from voting on the support staff agreement because she’s employed by the Nevada State Education Association, which is affiliated with ESEA.

ESEA President Jan Giles said negotiations are never easy, but she thinks the deal will bring well-deserved compensation for support staff.

The agreement is a big step forward with a $15 minimum wage for support professionals, as well as longevity pay, she said.

Cost of living and salary step increases will help employees with covering expenses due to recent inflation, Giles said. “This will have a real impact on the lives of our employees.”

‘Well-deserved money’

About 13,000 employees are affected by the support staff agreement. It includes an 8.65 percent salary increase during the first year — including 1.875 percent that already took effect July 1 — and 2 percent during the second year.

The district said a separate agreement will be negotiated to determine how much support staff will get as a result of the state legislature appropriating $250 million for districts statewide for pay raises.

Fred Horvath with Teamsters Local 14 said he feels strongly that the relationship between the union and district improved through the collective bargaining process and they “worked the issues, not each other.”

It’s unprecedented to have an agreement — and it hasn’t happened in 20-plus years — before the school year begins, he said.

The agreement for administrators includes a 10 percent raise during the first year — including 1.875 percent that went into effect July 1 — and 2 percent in the second year.

Jeff Horn, executive director of the Clark County Association of School Administrators and Professional-Technical Employees — which represents nearly 1,500 site-based and central office administrators — said negotiations are rarely enjoyable, but he appreciated the professionalism on both sides.

The union’s members overwhelmingly voted — with 98 percent in favor — to ratify the contract, he said.

Superintendent Jesus Jara said he wanted to thank the three bargaining teams involved for the partnership to “really compensate employees” with well-deserved money.

Jara also said the district is “very close” to reaching agreements with the two unions that represent police employees. Negotiations also remain underway with the Clark County Education Association teachers union.

Presentation on new state funding

Jara said there’s conversation happening publicly and misinformation about the $250 million for the state’s 17 school districts for employee raises, noting there are lots of moving parts.

It’s a one-time source of funding, Chief Financial Officer Jason Goudie said.

The legislature could renew the bill for employee raises in a future session or pursue a bill for more or something different, “but we don’t know that,” Goudie said.

Putting the financial stability of the district at risk hoping that something like that happens isn’t sound financial practice, he said.

Jara said he can’t negotiate in good faith for employees with money the district doesn’t have. He said it’s not a good practice to give raises using one-time money.

Board President Evelyn Garcia Morales said the board doesn’t make decisions based on future hopes.

She said she’s grateful for clarity, even if it means taking “extra heat from members of the community who believe otherwise.”

Goudie said he doesn’t know yet how much the district will receive from the $250 million allocation for employee raises, but estimates it will be $170 million to $180 million.

Kelly Edgar, a teacher and CCEA member, said during a public comment period that some charter schools are giving teachers raises up to 20 percent and surpassing the district’s starting pay without having access to the state’s $250 million for pay increases.

It feels like the bulk of the district’s money is going to its highest-paid employees — administrators, she said. “It’s like you’re intentionally driving teachers away.”

The idea that money isn’t available in the future is a ridiculous argument for not providing raises to teachers who are owed it, she said.

Teachers are angry and fired up, Edgar said, and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the contract they deserve.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.