Hundreds of Vallejo teachers hit with pay reduction over winter holiday

VALLEJO – The Vallejo City Unified School District reduced the paychecks of hundreds of staff members just before their winter break to recover funds the district mistakenly overpaid them in 2023.

One teacher told the Vallejo Sun that they had about $250 taken out of their paycheck in late December, which left them stressed and financially burdened. They requested to remain anonymous due to concerns that their job could be impacted for speaking out.

“After rent, education, food and gas expenses, I don’t make enough to have extra at the end of the month,” the teacher said.

The teacher said that they had to “get creative” with their grocery shopping over the holidays, as their budget for food was lower than usual. They also said they heard complaints from co-workers who faced difficulties paying rent or buying presents for their children. 

VCUSD spokesperson Celina Baguiao told the Vallejo Sun that 298 staff members, about a quarter of the district’s nearly 1,200 employees, had their Dec. 20 paychecks reduced in order to recover about $45,500 that had been overpaid. In total, 264 teachers, 32 administrators, and two other VCUSD workers were affected. Additionally, the district cut the benefit checks for 36 retirees. 

The reductions ranged from $0.51 to $815.50. The average pay reduction was about $135, Baguiao said.

Teachers found out about the issue on Dec. 13, when VCUSD Assistant Director of Finance Gillian Valenzuela sent emails that were reviewed by the Vallejo Sun explaining why their Dec. 20 paychecks might be lower than usual. 

In emails sent on Dec. 13 and Dec. 16, Valenzuela wrote that the district discovered through an audit that it had accidentally refunded retirement funds to some staff members in September 2023 and that the district determined it was necessary to fix the error as soon as possible. 

“The district would like to express its sincere apologies for the error,” Valenzuela wrote. “We understand this is not the best timing for anyone and truly regret disenfranchising our VCUSD family.”

The district did offer teachers the opportunity to return the overpayment from their February paycheck instead of their Dec. 20 check. Teachers, however, were sent that email just after 1 p.m. on Dec. 16, and were given until 3:30 p.m. to respond. 

“This tight timeline was necessary because the district operated under manual payroll deadlines set by the Solano County Office of Education,” Bagiao said. “Payroll had to be submitted by 8 a.m. the following day, leaving limited time to process adjustments manually. However, all staff members who reached out on Dec. 16 to request a deferral had their requests accommodated.”

According to Baguiao, nine teachers requested the deferment. 

A screenshot from a Slack post obtained by the Vallejo Sun shows other teachers were frustrated with the reduced pay around the holidays. One suggested that the Vallejo Education Association file a grievance and accused the district of violating a portion of their contract that requires the district to meet with the union “in the event of overpayment” in order to “determine a reasonable repayment plan.”

Baguiao said that since the extra payment was not a salary overpayment and instead related to retirement reimbursement funds, the district was not required to meet with the union. She said that the district informed Vallejo Education Association President Kevin Steele about the issue. Steele declined to comment.

Baguiao said that the district made a mistake and vowed to do better in the future.

“This oversight was unfortunate,” Baguiao said, “and we have implemented new policies and procedures to ensure it does not happen again.”