The Ceres School Board unanimously approved pay increases on Thursday, Dec. 13 for teachers and other employees across Ceres Unified School District.

“It’s essential for us to compensate our employees,” said Dan Pangrazio, assistant superintendent of Business Services for CUSD. “We value them so highly for what they do every day. The compensation packages are very similar with cabinet being the only exception. Everybody is on the same playing field. That’s one of the things we believe in and the board has believed in for years.”

Certificated employees represented by the Ceres Unified Teachers Association will receive a 6.2 percent bump in their salary, retroactive to July 1, 2018, along with a one-time bonus of 2.25 percent.

Classified employees represented by the Ceres chapter of the California School Employees Association will receive a 5.07 percent bump in their salary, retroactive to last July, and a .93 percent pay-scale longevity increase. They will also get a one-time bonus of 2.25 percent.

Certificated administrators and classified management, and confidential employees will receive a 6 percent bump in their salary, retroactive to last July, along with a one-time bonus of 2.25 percent.

The district will also increase its contribution for employee-only health and welfare benefits from $749.89 to $850 per month.

“It was a good budget year for the state,” Pangrazio said. “That allowed us to compensate all of our employees at a higher level. We settled with both bargaining units very early. That’s not common. It comes down to the trust we built with each other.”