Weekly Update 11-7-2025
KHSTA Celebrates Veterans Day
Lots of info this week! Happy November! We hope you had a great week! Updates will come out every Friday EXCEPT for the last Friday of the quarter (the KHSTA Newsletter will arrive on these dates). Please check your junk mail folder if you are not receiving them. Past updates will be archived on the KHSTA website (khsta.org).
RETRO PAY
The Board of Trustees approved the contract at their board meeting on Monday. Retro pay should be on your November paycheck.
VETERANS’ DAY
KHSTA would like to thank all of our members who have served for their service to our country.
FOUR DAY WEEKEND
When Veteran’s Day falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the Kern County schools make Monday the 10th or Friday the 12th to create a four day weekend (the high number of absences on those days disproportionately impact funding). As Veteran’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, KHSD also has a non-student day on Monday. Staff will make that contract day up on Monday, June 1, 2026.
CALSTRS RETURN OF EXCESS CONTRIBUTION
Every year, CalSTRS returns any overpayment of contributions to your STRS account in October. If you had an overpayment, there should have been an adjustment on your October pay warrant. To check, look under the “before-tax deductions” section of your paystub and it will say “STRS Adj.” You can also look at your Employee Self Service (ESS) account that you can access through the district website.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
If you would like to volunteer, or if you have a student club or group that would like to volunteer, the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CPAK) needs volunteers to help box and distribute food donations. This is not a food drive; the food is already there. It needs to be boxed for distribution to needy families. You can sign up to volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548A5AE2FA5F5C70-60003617-government#/
KHSD INJURY AND ILLNESS PREVENTION PROGRAM
If you have safety issues or concerns on your campus, you can file them using the forms in the KHSD Injury And Illness Prevention Program handbook.
THE STANDARD -- OPEN ENROLLMENT
Great news!!! The Standard is doing an open enrollment from October 1, 2025 to November 30, 2025! This means that if you don’t have disability insurance and you want to get it WITH GUARANTEED ENROLLMENT AND NO HEALTH QUESTIONS ASKED, this is the time!! The plan would go into effect after you work 10 days in the month after you sign up. They are also offering open enrollment on up to $100,000 of life insurance.
To find more information, go to standard.com/cta/justforyou.
10 MINUTE MEETINGS
Your site reps will be doing monthly 10 minute meetings to help keep you informed. Reps should be having a 10 minute meeting to answer questions regarding the tentative contract. This month’s topic is Grievances vs. Complaints.
KHSTA WEBSITE
The KHSTA website will be under construction for the next several weeks. If you need information on the contract, please go to the KHSD website’s HR page to access the contract.
CONFERENCES
KHSTA has reached the limit for grants this year! Over 50 grants have been given to attend various conferences. Conferences may be re-opened if recipients are unable to go.
Happy Friday!! Enjoy your four day weekend!
KHSTA Executive Board
President: Cathy Adams (FrHS)
Vice President: Mindy Montanio (HHS)
Secretary: Stephanie Valenzuela (AHS)
Treasurer: Norma Procell (HHS)
State Council Reps
Elise Sotello (KL)
Kim Lee (AHS)
Tamara Clark (VWHS)
Joanne Barrick (HHS)
Candi Romero (TDS)
Past President: Vickie Shoenhair (Shafter)
Membership Chair: Dave Ziegler (LHS)
Bargaining, Grievance Chair: Mindy Montanio (HHS)
PAC Chair: Allysa Jones (FHS)
Site Representatives
Arvin: Stephanie Valenzuela,
Ty Newton
BAS: Linda Colvin
BHS: Hillary Sanders,
Randy Bennett
CHS: Kayole Bradford, Kim Henry
CVHS: Alix Garcia
DOHS: Olive Garrison,
Hannah Richert
District (includes all district programs):
Danny Arretche (KL),
Isaac Rocha (JCC)
EBHS: April Bynum,
Rosemary Silverman
Foothill: Elizabeth Deckard,
Allysa Jones
Frontier: Lara Winn
GVHS: Victoria Hinojosa
HHS: Meaghan Barber Smith
IHS: Robb Polski, Tanya Whitehouse
KVHS: Casey Robinson
LHS: David Ziegler,
Marycoco Ramirez
MMHS: Brooke Malley Ault,
Matt Day
NHS: Erika Zeimet, Tonya Davis
Nueva:
RHS: Kim Smith, Nathan Claunch
ROP/CTEC: Chad Wright,
Scott Trimble
Shafter: Jessica Smith,
Brian Feaster
South: Rebekah Ingle,
Dante Borradori
Stockdale: Gaby Scully
TDS: Candi Romero
VWHS: Karen Roberts*
Vista: Julie Burke
West: Eliza Pearsy, Steve Willis
Liaisons
COUNSELOR: Joanne Barrick (HHS)
NURSE: Jamie Henry (IHS)
PSYCHOLOGIST: Angelina Gonzales (ABLE)
TEACHER-LIBRARIAN: Amanda Rude (SHS)
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Kern High School Teachers Association
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Bakersfield, CA 93301