Teachers refute salary proposal at MBUSD board meeting

By Caden Lim
Staff Writer

At the Nov. 6, Manhattan Beach Unified School District board meeting teachers, counselors, and community members spoke in opposition to the district’s proposed 2% salary increase for the 2023-24 year. Many educators argued that, with the rising cost of living and increasing demands on their time, the offer is inadequate and doesn’t reflect the hard work they put in to support students every day.

As the meeting unfolded, the conversation turned to the district’s financial health and the growing demands on its staff. Several teachers emphasized that while the district’s budget has improved in recent years, the proposed raise does not reflect the increasing cost of living in California or the heavy workload placed on educators. Shawn Chen, Costa English teacher and President of the Manhattan Beach Unified Teachers Association (MBUTA), addressed the board, voicing the frustration felt by her and her peers in the teaching community.

“The district’s financial situation has improved, yet the proposed raise does not reflect the level of work teachers are expected to do,” Chen said. “We are asked to do more every year, but the compensation doesn’t reflect that.” The shortage of new teachers in the district was another point of concern raised during the meeting. Teachers expressed worry about the district’s ability to recruit and retain high-quality staff since the salaries lag behind the neighboring districts and the pay scale simply is unable to keep pace with the rising cost of living. Aaron Kofahl, who has taught at Mira Costa for 11 years, addressed the board about the issue of teacher retention.

“I believe new teachers need to see that this job is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling,” said Kofahl. “Yet, we hemorrhage new teachers every year because we are not competitive with our salary.”

Counselors at MBUSD also voiced frustration with the proposed raise. They highlighted how their specialized skills and responsibilities have increased, yet their compensation has not kept up. Lauren Galbraith, a counselor at Manhattan Beach Middle School, shared that counselors’ roles have become more demanding over time and despite the critical nature of their work, they too feel undervalued in the district’s financial proposal.

“As counselors, we’re the frontline support for students facing a range of challenges,” said Gailbraith. “Despite this level of responsibility and specialized skills, our pay does not reflect our qualifications or the demands we face daily.”

Teachers and staff were also unsatisfied with the district’s resource allocation. Despite the renewal of Measure MB and increased funding from the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation (MBEF), some educators feel that too much of the funding is being directed to administrative positions rather than supporting the staff who worked directly with students. They argued that while administrative costs rise, the district continues to ask teachers and counselors to do more with less.

“The revenue from the parcel tax alows the district to bloat administrative positions and fund them from the general fund, depleting the overall balance available for teacher salaries,” Chen said.

A growing sense of mistrust between the district administration and its employees was in display at the meeting. Teachers and staff expressed discontent with the district’s leadership, fearing that the district was not negotiating in good faith and that the proposed offer did not reflect the district’s actual financial health. Lisa Cook, a 12-year English teacher at Costa, was disappointed with the district’s handling of the negotiations and their lack of urgency and consideration regarding the teachers’ concerns.

“It’s insulting to be offered a two percent raise when the cost of living adjustment is 8.2 percent,” said Cook. “The 1 percent offer from last year, and now the 2 percent offer, shows how little the district values its teachers.”

As public comment came to a close, there was no resolution, but the voices of the teachers, counselors, and staff were clear: they are committed to their students, but are fighting for a salary increase that compensates for their growing responsibilities. With negotiations continuing, MBUSD faculty hopes that the district will reconsider its position and offer a fairer raise.

“We dedicate ourselves to our students and this community,” said Cook. “But at the end of the day, we also need to feel valued for the work we do. A 2% raise isn’t enough to keep up with the rising cost of living, and it doesn’t reflect the challenges we face in the classroom every day.”