Dear HTEC Members,
We’re excited to share that High Tech High has officially confirmed it will implement the full 4.31% COLA for certificated employees, effective July 1, 2026, consistent with our collective bargaining agreement. You likely already received the joint announcement from HTH and HTEC, sent by HTH CEO Diana Cornejo-Sanchez.
This is a significant victory for our union!
Over the past several weeks, HTEC consistently maintained that our contract required the full 4.31% COLA. While HTH’s announcement referenced the Governor’s recent press conference, the state budget itself did not change between its passage and that announcement. Through continued advocacy, contract enforcement, and preparation to pursue the grievance process if necessary, HTEC held firm until HTH agreed to implement the contract as written.
This is exactly why unions matter. Without a strong contract and members willing to stand together to enforce it, there is every indication HTH would have implemented a lower raise.
A quick clarification: Although the salary schedule is effective July 1, certificated employees are not paid during July. This does not mean there will be a July backpay check. Instead, the new salary schedule will take effect with your first paycheck for the 2026-27 school year.
This victory builds on another successful year for HTEC. While certificated employees secured the full 4.31% COLA, classified members recently ratified a contract that included a 3% salary increase along with significant additional investments in healthcare, paid work days, leave, salary restructuring, and working conditions—totaling approximately 7.6% in overall investments across the unit.
These wins reflect what a strong, member-led union can accomplish!! HTEC isn’t one person; it’s all of us. Every member strengthens our collective voice and our ability to continue improving compensation, benefits, and working conditions for everyone.
To help illustrate this victory, we’ve created graphs comparing a 2.87% raise versus the 4.31% raise for each job class. Depending on salary placement, this additional 1.44% is worth approximately $930-$1,660 per year. For many members, this is roughly equal to or greater than the cost of annual union dues from this victory alone.
In solidarity,
HTEC Leadership
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