Pacifica Trustees Hire Bargaining Facilitator Over Teachers Union Objections

Pacifica School District trustees voted 4-0 on Oct. 21, 2026, to hire an outside facilitator for stalled negotiations with certificated staff, adding a three-month exit clause after union speakers called the contract one-sided and a waste of classroom dollars. The board also heard that the San Mateo County Office of Education has lifted the district's going-concern designation, its most serious fiscal warning. Both stories point to the same fault line: a district that is easing out of fiscal crisis while its labor relations remain strained.

• JAMS Pathways facilitation contract approved 4-0 with a roughly three-month out clause after LSEA objections

• County ends going-concern designation, but deficit spending and county monitoring continue

• Library, counseling and outdoor ed jobs hinge on parcel tax that expires June 30, 2027

• Unions and site staff press for classified raises, an IBL vice principal and campus safety fixes

• Maverick Development housing contract approved 4-0; staff cite $232,244.89 in savings

A Facilitator for Talks the Union Didn't Choose

The basics: Interest-based bargaining (IBB) is a negotiation method in which labor and management solve problems jointly rather than trading positions. The district wants JAMS Pathways to facilitate IBB with its certificated labor group, LSEA.

Why it matters: The contract is meant to restart negotiations the district says have run nearly two years. The union's position is that a facilitator hired by one side cannot be neutral, and that puts trust at the table at risk before talks resume.

Where things stand: A trustee pulled the item, listed as Item J, from the consent agenda, which forced a separate debate and public comment. Chuck Neidhoefer, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, said the contract runs for the year and that the facilitator is neutral. He argued that last year's process should not be repeated and pointed to union behavior as a reason the district needs outside help.

"We looked at several options, we picked what we thought was the best one, and that's what we're bringing to you tonight," said Neidhoefer.

The other side: Two LSEA speakers urged trustees to pull the item. They argued that IBB is supposed to be co-led and mutually agreed upon, so a facilitator hired by the district is the opposite of how the process should work. Rachel Merlot, a public commenter, proposed repeating the shared training approach used before, with CTA and district legal representatives.

"With the approval of this item, there is no place for LSEA to have participation in the process," said Merlot.

Meghann Elsbernd, President of the Laguna Salada Education Association (LSEA), pointed to canceled negotiation dates and put the total cost at $46,575, money she said would be better spent on classroom needs. She asked that the item return later as a revised package.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Trustees questioned staff on the facilitator's neutrality, the district's right to cancel, and whether decisions would be made jointly. One trustee asked for an exit option. Board Clerk Elizabeth Bredall made the motion:

"I will motion to hire the IBB facilitator with the clause that we have an out if it doesn't work after, I would say, 3 months, I feel like it's fair," said Bredall.

Board President Laverne Villalobos seconded, and the motion passed (For: 4, Against: 0). Teachers now head into facilitated talks they did not help design, and the district has committed about $46,575 to a process whose value will be tested in the first three months.

What's next: The three-month mark is the board's first real checkpoint on whether the facilitation is working.

County Lifts Fiscal Warning, but the Deficit Remains

Why it matters: The county issued Pacifica a "lack of going concern" designation on Feb. 26, 2026. That designation is no longer in effect, so county oversight eases. The underlying structural deficit, however, has not gone away.

Where things stand: Superintendent Carisa Bowman reported that the San Mateo County Office of Education found the district had met all three of its conditions. County monitoring will move from weekly to monthly. At Villalobos' request, Bowman read the county letter aloud. The letter cites:

• Reserves projected above 3%

• A $1.4M improvement in the general fund ending balance

• Planned reductions that include about 13 full-time-equivalent positions

The letter also notes that the unrestricted fund still deficit spends every year. And the plan includes a Measure D contingency: if the parcel tax is not renewed, counselors, library technicians and outdoor school are eliminated.

The other side: The county letter still flags risk from unsettled negotiations. Earlier in the meeting, LSEA argued that the fiscal stabilization plan contains errors and objected to who sits on the district's Budget Collaborative. Bowman defended the collaborative's small-group format.

What's next: The Budget Collaborative meeting has moved to Nov. 6.

Parcel Tax Hangs Over Libraries and Counselors

Why it matters: Library media technicians, counselors and 5th grade outdoor education all depend on a voter-approved parcel tax. Under the district's fiscal plan, those programs are the first cut if the tax lapses.

Where things stand: A district presentation honored library and counseling staff and laid out the funding stakes.

"That parcel tax expires June 30th, 2027, and without renewal, this dedicated funding source will end," said Kathy Alderson, coordinator of strategic initiatives and grant management.

CSEA Chapter 128, which represents classified staff, asked the community to support Measure T. Violet Bombosch, a 5th grade teacher at Sunset Ridge, presented homework data showing turn-in rates rose once her class began weekly library visits.

"I had 11 out of 33 students turning in their work on average," said Bombosch.

She asked the board to find ways to keep library staff whether or not Measure T passes.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No action was taken. Students, classified library staff and counselors carry the most risk if the tax is not renewed, which makes Measure T a direct referendum on these positions.

Pay, Staffing and a Broken Gate: Staff Push Back

Where things stand: Labor and school-site speakers used public comment to press the board on pay and staffing.

• Classified pay: CSEA acknowledged a paraprofessional salary range increase from 46 to 50 for RSP and SDC settings. It asked for more, along with updated job descriptions and salary schedule adjustments.

• Pay priorities: Angela Diaz, a middle school RSP teacher at Cabrillo School, said special education is underfunded. She asked trustees not to discuss administrator raises before addressing classified pay.

"Your pay for classified staff is borderline criminal," said Diaz.

• IBL staffing: Speaking for Ingrid B. Lacey Middle School (IBL), Merlot criticized the unfilled second vice principal post and the lack of a full-time counselor. She contrasted this with hiring adjustments at the district office.

"We have one VP doing the job of two," said Merlot.

• IBL safety: Maria Dahlman, speaking for IBL, described a front gate lock broken since August and gopher holes 4 to 6 inches deep in the field. The campus now serves more than 600 consolidated middle school students. She asked for "an immediate repair to our front gate lock, an actionable plan to make our field safe, and a clear timeline for both."

• LSEA concerns: Megan reported the union's second grievance. She also cited shortened negotiation sessions, unanswered emails and AI-generated replies, and asked incoming trustees to meet with LSEA monthly. These are the union's assertions.

The other side: Bowman responded at the end of the meeting:

• IBL vice principal: The first candidate declined, the second lacked proper certification, a third recruitment round has been requested, and the IBL counselor's hours were increased.

• IBL field: Funding is being sought.

• Email: She set a response target of 24 to 72 hours.

• Union complaints: Cabinet meeting schedules changed to allow school visits, and AI-generated photos were used with permission and in line with policy.

• Newcomers: A newcomer curriculum is being purchased and will be piloted at IBL.

What's next: Expect these demands to meet the deficit-reduction plan head-on, especially once the incoming board is seated.

Workforce Housing Stays on Track, for Less

Why it matters: The district is building its own 45-unit workforce housing project. Trustees cut the cost of managing construction nearly in half.

Where things stand: Jose Quintana, Supervisor of Maintenance Operations and Bond Construction, gave a progress report:

• Concrete is complete for the first 27 apartment units.

• Townhome foundations are nearly finished.

• Brick and concrete from demolition are being reused on site.

He then compared the remaining $472,244 balance on Brookwood Group's construction management contract with Maverick Development's not-to-exceed price of $240,000.

"That's a savings of $232,244.89," said Quintana.

Brett Keeler of Maverick Development said none of the schedule's built-in weather days have been used. "We do have 20 days of rain day incorporated into our general contractor schedule," said Keeler.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The board authorized the Maverick contract (For: 4, Against: 0). The savings, about 49% of Brookwood's remaining balance, help a cash-strapped district keep a housing project for its own employees moving.

Minor Items

• State facilities funding: Resolutions 2026-10-21A through D passed 4-0 each. They authorize State Allocation Board applications, hardship and seismic mitigation filings, and Small School District Program status. They also add the business official and bond construction supervisor as authorized signers. Staff said filing by Nov. 2 with King Consulting preserves the district's eligibility.

• Test scores: ELA proficiency reached 56% in 2025-26 while math held between 52% and 55%. "Pacifica has officially exited the differentiated assistance level," said Catherine Presenzi, Director of ESS.

• Curriculum: Middle school math, using materials adopted in 2014, is next in the adoption rotation. Staff plan a pilot-first rollout.

• Grants: Staff reviewed several grants: about $337,000 in literacy investments, a nearly $1M Pacifica Pathways career technical education grant, and a $676,000 literacy coaches grant funded through 2030-31.

• Indigenous Peoples' Day: Trustees adopted Resolution 2026-10-21E, recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day and Native American Heritage Month, 4-0.

Looking Ahead

The Budget Collaborative meets Nov. 6, state facilities filings are due Nov. 2, and the board's three-month checkpoint on JAMS Pathways will show whether facilitated bargaining can move stalled talks forward.