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Palo Alto Unified School District Henry M. Gunn High School 780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306
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THEOracle Henry M. Gunn High School
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Friday, March 6, 2026 Volume 63, Issue 5
780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306
PAUSD unions negotiate wage, salary increase Unions feel lack of transparency from PAUSD over proposed budget cuts
Melody Na and Vanisha Vig In-Depth Editor and News Editor
D
uring a Feb. 10 PAUSD board meeting, the Palo Alto Board of Education unanimously opposed a plan to cut non-teacher staff positions in the 2026-27 term. The original plan was proposed by district staff as part of a “zero-based budget” strategy, aimed at addressing rising operational costs such as utilities and insurance. However, after pushback from the community and educators, the board determined these positions were essential to student success and voted 5-0 to maintain current staffing levels.
Photo illustrations by Vin Bhat
Califor nia School Employees Association Palo Alto chapter president Meb Steiner said that the reversal of this decision brought a sense of relief to the community. Even with the policy win, Palo Alto Educators Association president Tom Culbertson expressed discontent with the lack of transparency surrounding the proposed changes. According to Culbertson, there was no financial constraint that would warrant these cuts, especially since the school district has reserves of money that have been increasing over time. “The school district has an ending fund balance,” he said. “They have cash on hand at the end of every month and at the end of every school year or fiscal year, and that number has been growing over time. There is no fiscal crisis that requires budget cutting in the common sense of the way people use the word.” The aforementioned staff cuts and their resolution emerged amid ongoing labor negot iat ions. Since Sept. 2025, PAUSD has been discussing salary and benef it increase proposals with the Palo Alto teacher and non-teacher union. PAEA put down a 28% raise proposal, including salary and benefits, while the Palo Alto chapter of the CSEA asked for an increase over two years, specifically with an 11% raise the first year and an 8% raise with medical benefits the second year, excluding the cost of stipends. A PA E A ne got i at ion s update released on the PAUSD website refers to the proposed costs as “unprecedented and unsustainable,” as the PAEA and CSE A proposals total over $42.5
million and around $37.68 million, respectively. According to Steiner, the proposed cost is not unusually high when compared with past salar y increases, which have ranged from 4% to 11%. She added that the 47.92% increase proposed by the district did not ref lect the projected longterm costs over mu lt iple yea rs, rather than the immediate scope of CSEA’s proposal. In response, PAUSD suggested a 2% ra i se to teacher salary to CSEA. “For the f irst time (the district) took those Despite receiving the highest amount of proposals and added in (the) cost over time, all the benefits, all the retirement salary as a step E non-teacher employee — (and) all of the statutory contributions that where ‘E’ indicates a higher level seniority the district is required to make by law,” she — Steiner states that affordability in the said. “They lumped that all together and Bay Area has worsened. Pay disparities w ithin CSE A presented it as mean that 48%.” employees of One of the major reasons it’s hard enough for teachers to lower seniority, teacher unions afford to live close by, but for (non- and therefore are adamant in teacher staff) with lower wage jobs, lower salaries, face greater their fight for it’s even more difficult. strain. higher wages —CSEA Palo alto President Meb Steiner “(Employees lies in the cost are) f rom a ll of liv ing in over the place, California. “If you look at our salary increases over and it’s hard enough for teachers to afford the last 20 years, (and) you added it all to live close by, but for (non-teacher staff) together, we’re barely keeping pace with with lower wage jobs, it’s even more inflation,” Culbertson said. “So (for) every difficult,” she said. Funding—p.2 educator who’s been in the district for 20 years or 10 years, their buying power has not increased in the last 10 or 20 years.”
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Editor’s note: In order to minimize the appearance of a conf lict of interest, The Oracle worked with an outside journalism adviser in the reporting of this story.
SUperintendenT’s CONTRACT TERMINATED The PAUSD Board of Education officially reached an agreement with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Don Austin to terminate his contract during a special closed session board meeting on Feb. 20. Austin will retain advisory “Superintendent Emeritus” status till the end of his term on June 30. Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Staff Trent Bahadursingh was appointed in a 4-1 vote as acting superintendent until June 30 in a second special closed session board meeting on Feb. 23. The Board
will continue to conduct its search for permanent leadership. According to a statement from Board President Shounak Dharap released on ParentSquare on Feb. 20 at 11:37 a.m., the decision to end Austin’s tenure with the district was mutual. “This is not a retirement or a termination,” he wrote. “Rather, it is a decision made jointly, one that allows the District to enter its next chapter under new leadership while honoring eight years of meaningful work.”
TO view the full online edition of the article, scan the qr code or visit tinyurl.com/mthk542t
—Written by Vin Bhat. Additional report ing by Vaani Saxena.
57% of surveyed students are unaware of ongoing district-union disputes over budgeting
Source: Self-selected survey sent out to Gunn students by The Oracle from Feb. 25 to Mar. 2 with 107 responses.