Pajaro Valley Unified School District 10/07/2026

At the October 7, 2026 Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting, the board approved a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers for July 1, 2025–June 30, 2028. The agreement includes retroactive compensation and 1% increases in each of the next two years, a $250 teacher-supply reimbursement, and added instructional-aide support in general-education kindergarten classrooms. The financial disclosure described the district’s ability to maintain the required 3% reserve as dependent on future spending reductions; a public commenter put the agreement’s cost at $7.3 million. The vote was 5 in favor, none opposed, one abstention, and one absent. The agreement also provides for Aptos High School to move to a six-period schedule beginning in 2027–28, prompting student and community concerns about electives and course access. The board also approved the consent agenda, which included an MOU for a $50 substitute incentive for prearranged coverage assignments.

The board discussed school consolidation and declining enrollment through the Sustainable Schools Advisory process, but made no consolidation or capital-project award decisions. Speakers raised concerns about Measure M-related payment workloads and staffing in the district’s accounting department; one staff member reported more than $111 million in checks processed during the 2025–26 school year and cited Amazon and Palace as major vendors. No specific procurement award, bid approval, or new vendor selection was identified. The board separately approved revisions to governance and agenda-setting procedures, including a process for adding items to future agendas.