The Abridged version:
- Twin Rivers teachers are overwhelmingly on board with a possible strike, according to a vote this week. Negotiations between the teachers union and district have stalled on multiple points, including the union’s demand for more competitive compensation.
- State data show Twin Rivers’ average teacher salary in the top half of districts across California. In Sacramento County, the district was the second-highest behind Sacramento City Unified.
- Health benefits vary greatly between neighboring districts. Twin Rivers covers 60% of health premiums, while Sacramento City Unified offers 100% coverage.
An overwhelming majority of teachers at Twin Rivers Unified say they are prepared to strike if the district does not meet their demands at the bargaining table.
One of their complaints is pay and benefits they say are not competitive.
Union members have said they are losing colleagues to neighboring districts — such as Sacramento City Unified — who can offer higher pay and more substantive health benefits.
But reports from the state Department of Education and the districts show Twin Rivers’ average teacher salary on par or ahead of similarly-sized neighboring districts. Still, the northern Sacramento County district appears to lag behind its peers on benefits, according to data.
‘Seeing talented people like that leave’
When Autumn Black’s daughter attended school in Roseville, one of her teachers was a former employee of Twin Rivers Unified. The instructor made the switch, according to Black, in pursuit of better wages.
“She was a fabulous teacher for my daughter, but I feel bad for the students in our district that are missing out,” said Black, who is currently a science teacher at Foothill Ranch Middle School in Twin Rivers.
“We’re seeing talented people like that leave,” she continued, “to go work in places where they feel more supported.”
Twin Rivers pay is above county average
Among the union’s demands are “competitive wages to retain and recruit teachers,” according to a news release Monday.
The average salary for a teacher in Roseville’s elementary school district, for instance, was $103,231 during the 2024-25 school year, according to the California Department of Education. Roseville’s high school district paid teachers an average salary of $114,449 that year. Sacramento City’s average teacher pay was $109,230.
In Twin Rivers Unified, the average salary was $98,027, more than 10% less than Sacramento City. It also was around $5,500 below the state average that year.
In 2024-25, the Twin Rivers average teacher salary was the second highest in the county (excluding the Sacramento County Office of Education). Their pay was in the top half of the more than 800 districts that self-reported data to the state. It was $1,200 more than what educators in Elk Grove received.
Strike threats grow louder as negotiations stall
Black is also on the executive board for Twin Rivers United Educators, the district’s teacher union. This week, the union announced that more than 90% of its members voted yes to a potential strike.
Negotiations are ongoing between the labor group and the district. They are currently in what’s known as “fact-finding,” where a neutral third party will hear out both sides.
If this stage fails to draw agreement, a strike could occur as early as March.
“Every day we see our students going without the resources they need to thrive, and educators struggling to make ends meet,” union president Brittoni Ward said in a statement. “This vote is a clear message that we are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make our students the priority.”
Twin Rivers district officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Pay disparity has grown for a decade
Teacher salaries in Sacramento City Unified — which has similar enrollment numbers to Twin Rivers Unified — have increased 63% between the 2014-15 and 2024-25 school years, according to the state.
Pay for Twin Rivers teachers increased by about 37% within that decade.
Since 2019-20, Twin Rivers Unified has spent less on teacher compensation than is mandated by the state. The Sacramento County Office of Education has granted the district an exemption from the requirement each school year.
Benefits gap between neighbors
Pay is one component of compensation. Benefits have been a major point of contention between the district and its teachers.
Twin Rivers covers 60% of teacher health insurance premiums, according to Ward, the union president.
Elk Grove Unified covers up to 80% of health premiums for teachers, according to their 2024-2026 contract.
Sacramento City Unified offers its teachers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the region, covering 100% of premiums for employees and their families.
Multiple neighboring teacher unions have pointed to Sacramento City Unified as their goal to emulate. However, a state-funded report at the end of last year found the cash-strapped district put themselves in a difficult position by agreeing to the contract without clearly planning how to afford it.
Sacramento City Unified is at risk of fiscal insolvency as early as this summer.
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.