Santa Barbara Unified Educators Air Grievances at Emotionally Charged School Board Meeting

In the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD), the prospect of a teacher strike looms as educators and their supporters continue to air their grievances and advocate for improved working conditions. At the most recent October 24 school board meeting, 150 parents and educators turned out to urge the board to listen to teachers.

Members of the Santa Barbara Teachers Association (SBTA) demanded fair pay prior to the meeting’s scheduled sun-shining of proposals for 2024-2027 successor contract negotiations. It was an emotionally charged meeting, where 25 speakers took to the podium to amplify their pleas for change.  

“We are SBTA,” resounded through the board room from educators clutching signs that read, “Why is everyone quitting?” and “Teachers just wanna have funds.”

Teachers expressed their frustration over a “revolving door” of educators and the soaring housing costs that threaten their ability to continue working in the district. Many shared stories of struggling to make ends meet, despite their love for teaching, citing the increasing burden of health care, car payments, and feeling the need to dip into their own pockets for supplies and food for their students. 

New and experienced teachers alike shared their apprehensions about the future. Some are contemplating leaving, and others revealed that roughly half of their peers are also considering exiting the district after the current school year. 

When negotiations commence on November 15, the union is asking that the district present “real offers” for salary and benefits, including the implementation of a competitive salary schedule. Kim Baron, a 4th-grade teacher from Washington Elementary, said educators need a 10 percent cost-of-living increase today just to maintain the purchasing power they had three years ago — which goes up to 22 percent over the next three years to keep up with inflation.

She added that the average monthly take-home pay for a first-year teacher is just a little over the average cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in Santa Barbara, which hovers around $2,900-$3,500 per month. In comparison, Los Angeles teachers recently secured an average salary of $106,000 — a 21 percent increase — while the salary scale for Santa Barbara teachers tops out at the same figure.

The median home price in Los Angeles in September 2023 was $1.3 million, while in Santa Barbara, it was a staggering $2.7 million, according to Rentor, a professional property management service. Rental prices follow a similar pattern, with the median rent across all properties in Santa Barbara nearly double that of Los Angeles. 

“Many teachers in this district are considered low income or very low income based on the cost of housing in this town. Our district should be ashamed of this,” Baron asserted. “None of you on the board or at the top levels of the district admin are low-income. Why should teachers be?”

On August 12 this year, the SBTA posted a message on Instagram: “We tried to find a city that pays its teachers farther below the cost of living than Santa Barbara and we couldn’t find one.”

When SBUSD is compared to other districts around Central and Southern California, it’s a similar picture of higher compensation and/or lower housing costs. Many Santa Barbara teachers have already departed for higher-paying jobs or more affordable housing options elsewhere.

On Tuesday, the District Office posted a message on ParentSquare that they are ready to engage in meaningful negotiations of any proposals brought forward on November 15, saying that the “entire contract is open for negotiations and compensation and health benefits are the most critical and impactful topics to solve.”

The district said the two parties have other negotiation dates in November and December already scheduled, and that it has proposed additional dates, “knowing that this process could take us into the spring.”

However, SBTA president Hozby Galindo expressed skepticism at the district’s intentions, citing past failures to meet teacher demands and adequately consider teachers’ financial circumstances.

“Once we see your actions align with your words,” he added, “we can begin to build trust.”

As negotiations approach, the tension is palpable. Jose Caballero, for one, has taught at Santa Barbara High School long enough to have children of former students coming through his classroom. He told the Indy that while he has helped thousands of students get to college, he is unable to afford it for his own children. He has about $200 in his savings account. 

“Our district should start a dating app so teachers can marry rich and afford to live here,” he said, fidgeting with his long, white beard. His classroom looks like one of a veteran teacher: There is barely any space on the wall not covered by posters or assignments made by his students. 

Cathy Neushul, a 4th-grade teacher at Washington, told the Indy that while her PPO healthcare plan through the district has increased to $1,600 per month for her family of four, her salary hasn’t kept up. When she started teaching at the district nine years ago, she said, she could afford to live and work in Santa Barbara, and her health-care plan was half what she pays now. 

“[Teachers] are ready to strike,” she said. “Tomorrow, if they had to.”

Parents, too, are raising their voices, and two parents at Tuesday’s meeting expressed dismay at the shortage of paraeducators in the district that has left many families feeling underserved and many teachers overworked.

“Instead of patching our leaking roof with bubble gum and Band-Aids, we need to invest and build the house that attracts new talented teachers and specialists and honors the dedicated staff we have now,” said Dena Davis, her son at her side at the podium. 

The SBTA says they have been ready to negotiate since October. However, they claim the district has been “dragging its feet.”

The SBUSD and SBTA sunshine letters listed what articles of the contract they plan to negotiate, including hours and conditions, and wages and benefits, which are mandated to be negotiated this year. 

“I’ve had quite a few years at the bargaining table, and I wish it was as easy as we come to the table and we have an agreement,” said Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. John Becchio, who was appointed as the board’s Chief Labor Negotiator. 

“But it’s a process that takes some back and forth, it takes some cooperation between the two teams,” he added, including state and district budget considerations and the involvement of stakeholders. Although no boardmembers directly commented on the negotiations at the meeting, Boardmember Wendy Sims-Moten told the Indy, “As far as negotiations go, it is challenging and always worth working through the process. I have every confidence that we work together with care and respect for all concerned.”