Will Sacramento schools make up days lost to strike? What’s at stake for district, summer plans

Parents in the Sacramento City Unified School District are still waiting to learn how their children will make up school days this year after teachers and staff went on an eight-day strike earlier this year.

There are proposals on the table to begin adding instructional minutes as early as May 5, but a deal has not been finalized.

By law, the district must provide at least 180 days of instructional time. If it doesn’t, it faces serious financial penalties that could total millions of dollars. The Sacramento district has a 181-day school year, meaning it has to make up for at least seven strike days to avoid being penalized roughly $47 million by the state.

The California Department of Education said it has made it very clear to the district that waivers do not apply to strikes.

“All parties have also been informed by CDE of the penalties associated with loss of instructional days and loss of instructional time,” read a statement from the state.

Any change in the district calendar must be negotiated with unions because it would affect employee work schedules.

The district and the Sacramento City Teachers Association last exchanged proposals on April 22 and April 25, respectively. Both proposals include extending the remaining six Thursdays by 60 minutes, starting May 5.

The district and teachers union also plan to extend the minimum day on June 16 to a regular school day.

But the SCTA says they have not heard from the district since April 25.

“Superintendent (Jorge) Aguilar and the school board have reverted to the total lack of urgency that stalled the bargaining when we were on strike,” SCTA President David Fisher said. “We gave the district another proposal to address the lost instructional time on April 25 and we are still waiting for a response.

“It almost feels like they want to be penalized $47 million.”

A district representative told The Sacramento Bee that there is no update on negotiations.