ON MY58. TONIGHT, WOODLAN TEACHERS ARE MAKING IT CLEAR THEY ARE FRUSTRATED OVER A SALARY INCREASE FOR THE DISTRICT’S SUPERINTENDENT AND OTHER ADMINISTRATORS AT A TIME. THEIR OWN REQUEST FOR RAISES ARE BEING TURNED DOWN. IT’S FRUSTRATING TO HEAR THAT MESSAGING THAT OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS SHOULD BE MAKING MORE WHEN THEY’RE SENDING THAT SAME MESSAGE THAT TEACHERS SHOULDN’T BE THE WOODLAND JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH A NEW CONTRACT WITH ITS TEACHERS, AND THEY’VE ALREADY ANNOUNCED SOME LAYOFFS FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE FOR OUR NEWS AT TEN. I’M EDIE LAMBERT AND I’M KURTIS MING, AND NOW SOME ARE QUESTIONING THE TIMING OF THESE LAYOFFS AND GIVING TOP DISTRICT MANAGERS LARGE RAISES. KCRA 3’S CATALINA ESTRADA IS LIVE FROM WOODLAND. SO WHAT KIND OF RAISES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? YEAH, WELL, IT’S ABOUT A $50,000 RAISE FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT. THAT’S A 20% INCREASE FROM THE LAST CONTRACT THAT WAS SIGNED IN 2022. AND RIGHT NOW, THAT BOARD MEETING IS STILL GOING ON INSIDE OF THIS BUILDING. BUT EARLIER TONIGHT, THE VOTE, THE BOARD VOTED TO APPROVE THESE RAISES. DOZENS OF TEACHERS THAT WERE HERE TONIGHT LEFT DISAPPOINTED AND FRUSTRATED. IF THE DISTRICT IS TRULY FACING SUCH FINANCIAL STRAIN, HOW CAN THE BOARD JUSTIFY APPROVING SALARY INCREASES FOR TOP ADMINISTRATORS? LET’S DO BETTER. WHEN IT COMES TO EQUITY. A SALARY RAISE FOR THE WOODLAND JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT IS CAUSING CONTROVERSY. WE NEED TO DO BETTER AS A DISTRICT. THURSDAY NIGHT, THE BOARD VOTED TO INCREASE SUPERINTENDENT LODI ORTEGA LAMPKIN’S SALARY TO MORE THAN $300,000 STARTING IN JULY, A NEARLY $50,000 BUMP FROM HER CURRENT SALARY. APPROVAL OF CONTRACT MANAGEMENT, SALARY SCHEDULE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY ALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A NO VOTE BY TRUSTEE RICHARDSON BELLER. THE VOTE COMES AS THE TEACHERS UNION AND DISTRICT NEGOTIATE A NEW THREE YEAR CONTRACT. WE’RE REALLY PUSHING FOR INCREASES IN SALARY AND BENEFITS TO KEEP TEACHERS HERE IN WOODLAN, BERNARD SAYS. THEY’RE ASKING FOR A 14% SALARY INCREASE OVER TWO YEARS. MORE HEALTH BENEFITS AND RESOURCES. WE LOSE TEACHERS EVERY YEAR TO THE DISTRICTS AROUND US, AND IT’S REALLY DISHEARTENING. THE DISTRICT SAYS THE PAY RAISES THAT UNION IS REQUESTING WOULD COST MORE THAN $25 MILLION. DISTRICT OFFICIALS DECLINED OUR INTERVIEW REQUEST THURSDAY, BUT IN A STATEMENT RELEASED FOLLOWING A NEGOTIATION SESSION EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE DISTRICT SAID IN PART IN A YEAR WHERE THE DISTRICT IS ALREADY HAD TO LAY OFF CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES AND IS DEALING WITH HIGH UNCERTAINTY IN WASHINGTON, DC REGARDING CUTS TO FEDERAL FUNDING, W COALITION PROPOSAL WILL FURTHER LENGTHEN THE TIME NEEDED TO REACH A FINAL AGREEMENT. WE HAVE TO REWARD THOSE, YOU KNOW, OUR SUPERINTENDENT, OUR CABINET POSITIONS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT. THE DECISION LEAVING PARENTS AND TEACHERS EMOTIONAL. THEY ARE CLAIMING THAT WE’RE IN A BUDGET DEFICIT, AND THEY’RE CLAIMING THAT WE HAVE TO BE TIGHTER WITH OUR MONEY. THEN WE SHOULDN’T BE OFFERING FIVE FIGURE RAISES TO ADMINISTRATORS. AND THE TEACHERS CURRENT CONTRACT EXPIRES IN JUNE, AND THE NEXT MEETING BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND THE TEACHERS UNION IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 17TH. LIVE