End of the Year Bargaining Update

May 29, 2025

MOUs from May Meeting Posted, Pending Approval The final group of Memorandums of Understanding ( MOUs) from the May meeting is now available online, pending board approval. These items are scheduled for inclusion in the June 5 board meeting consent agenda, at which point they will become official.

MOU #26: Updated Healthcare Contribution Caps MOU #26 updates Article 16.1.2 of our contract by introducing a three-tier structure for district healthcare contributions. Previously, the district paid:

• $8,100 annually for single coverage

• $14,800 annually for family coverage

Effective September 1, 2025, the updated contribution amounts are:

• $8,100 – Single (no change)

• $11,860 – Employee + One

• $16,190 – Family

Note: This MOU was finalized after the district’s Benefits Guide was printed, so employees with single coverage will see their out-of-pocket costs drop by about $18/month starting this fall.

Economic Shifts Impacting Budget Projections Since bargaining began, three key economic changes have affected projected district revenues for the next three years:

1. Average Daily Attendance (ADA) has dipped slightly below initial projections. Each 1% change in ADA equates to roughly $2 million in our district’s budget.

2. While the district is still growing, the rate of growth is slowing, reducing both enrollment and the LCFF revenue tied to it.

3. The Governor’s May Revision lowered the 2025–26 COLA projection from 2.43% to 2.3%.

These factors will be reflected in the district’s final budget projections, which will be presented at one of the two June  board meetings.

Latest Offer and Next Steps The most recent offer came from FCEA and includes:

• A 2% salary increase for 2025–26 plus One-time funds to still get members additional money but without the compounding impact on the district 3-year budget

• 1-time monies to offset the transition in healthcare/nonstop

• An additional academic day in 2025–26 (bringing the total to 185 days; 2024–25 is already set at 185)

• Non-monetary items

A full report from May 7 is available on the blog . At this point, the district is updating its budget to reflect the new information and is expected to return with a counteroffer in the fall. 

In the meantime, we’re continuing to push forward on non-monetary priorities.  Before the end of the week, you should see a joint communication outlining a verbal agreement to provide time during the first few months of school for staff to complete state-mandated online training.

Revised Budget Advisory Committee Structure The district is restructuring the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) for the 2025–26 school year. According to their presentation:

“In light of the projected structural deficits facing FCUSD, the Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) will adopt an expanded structure for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. These changes are intended to ensure broader representation and more frequent engagement as the district works to address its ongoing fiscal challenges. The BAC is charged with ensuring district goals are prioritized when reviewing the budget, with a central objective of helping eliminate FCUSD’s unrestricted structural deficit. Above all, the committee will work to protect and support student learning by aligning financial decisions with the district’s core mission of academic success for all students.”

We see this committee’s work as complementary to our efforts to prioritize bargaining unit members in the district’s financial planning. It also aligns with one of our non-monetary goals: reducing the growing number of district-led initiatives and expectations so that educators can focus on the work most critical to supporting our students’ success.