Palo Alto Unified board approves labor deals, executive contract amendments and construction authorizations

The Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education on May 21 approved a package of labor and administrative actions, including tentative agreements with bargaining units, contract amendments for senior administrators and authorizations for facilities work.

The board approved opening negotiations and tentative agreements for multiple unions, and certified AB 1200 financial forms showing the district can meet the fiscal commitments tied to agreements. Meb Steiner, president of CSEA Palo Alto chapter 301, thanked the district negotiation team and called the compensation proposals meaningful for lower-wage classified employees. "We look forward to negotiating with the district team," Steiner said.

PAEA President Terry Baldwin told trustees the educators' tentative agreement passed a ratification vote with about 91.6% support from members, and said the deal included case-management and special-education language the union sought. "We are happy with some special ed language that we got," Baldwin said.

Board members spent significant time addressing community claims about district spending and superintendent pay. The board clarified that interim budget figures did not reflect unsettled negotiation outcomes and said the most recent final-year data showed PAUSD spent 37.76% of its budget on non‑management certificated employees (teachers). The board emphasized trade-offs between raising salaries and preserving current class sizes and benefits, noting higher pay could require budget shifts. "If PAUSD had Santa Clara Unified's exact contract, we would immediately release a portion of our certificated teachers," one trustee said, underscoring the choices involved.

Separately, trustees approved amendments and employment contracts under Government Code 54953(c)(3) for several executive roles: the chief business officer (pending employment agreement), chief technology officer (Derek Moore), associate superintendent of educational services (Dr. Guillermo Lopez), and contract amendments for other executive‑cabinet members. The board also approved a fifth amendment to Superintendent Dr. Don Austin's employment agreement extending the term to June 30, 2028 and placing him on the next step of the contracted management salary schedule.

On facilities, the board authorized a program-management contract with FS3 Hodges (reflecting roughly $1.1 million additional capital-improvement scope and about $500,000 for planned maintenance for the next fiscal year), and authorized issuing lease‑leaseback requests and a demolition-only bid package for a Green project to limit student disruption. Trustees said lease‑leaseback procurement can raise costs but may better manage complex projects and minimize in-session impacts.

What’s next: AB 1200 certifications, finalized contract documents and the details of ratified bargaining agreements will be posted with district records; board members said they expect follow-up budget disclosures and public-facing contract information so the community can review allocations and reserve assumptions.