After 10 months of negotiations, the Gilroy Unified School District and Gilroy Teachers Association announced Oct. 25 that they have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.
Details of the contract were not publicly available as of press time. The union was scheduled to vote on the agreement on Nov. 1, while the district’s Board of Education is expected to approve the contract during a meeting on Nov. 9 at 6pm.
The tentative agreement will be available on Nov. 6 at 5pm for viewing on the district’s website, spokesperson Melanie Corona said.
The tentative agreement was reached following an all-day fact-finding session with a state-appointed factfinder, according to a joint press release from the district and union.
“The Gilroy Unified School District is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with the Gilroy Teachers Association,” Superintendent Anisha Munshi stated in the press release. “We value the work of our staff members and we look forward to improved outcomes for all students as a result of this agreement.”
GTA President Caitlin Madolora stated, “GTA is happy to have reached a tentative agreement with Gilroy Unified. We believe that the agreement accomplishes our goals of improving learning conditions, student and educator wellness, and recruitment and retention and will benefit all Gilroy students and educators.”
Dozens of teachers have shown up to Board of Education meetings in recent months, demanding district officials give teachers a raise while also improving students’ experiences.
The Gilroy Teachers Association and district have been negotiating since December, later declaring an impasse and heading into mediation. The mediation meetings did not net an agreement, Madolora said, pushing negotiations into the fact-finding phase.
At issue are salaries, as well as class sizes in elementary schools, according to the union. In addition, the GTA says academic coordinators are forced to be supervisors during brunch, lunch and after school periods, when they should be using that time to meet individually with students.
District officials have pointed to declining enrollment and the impact on its revenue. According to the district, GUSD has seen a decline of 1,285 students since 2016, which includes 230 less students this year compared to last. As a result, the district faces a loss of revenue through the state’s average daily attendance formula.
