Twin Rivers Unified School District educators have been on strike for seven consecutive school days. The teachers union and the district remain at a standstill after three days of negotiations this week that did not produce an agreement.
This is the first work stoppage in the district’s history and could end up being the longest teachers strike in recent California history if it continues beyond Monday.
The stakes remain high as around 25,000 students at 49 schools across North Sacramento, Rio Linda and North Highlands go without classroom teachers, but neither party has budged from their most recent contract proposals.
What are teachers asking for?
Twin Rivers teachers are seeking:
A 10.5% raise across two years.Fully-paid health benefits for individuals and their dependents.A cap on classroom sizes.Other items related to overtime compensation and prep time for lessons.
The district estimates the cost of the union’s current asks to be about $23.1 million.
What is the district offering?
The district is offering teachers:
A 4.7% raise across two years.A proposal to pay for the cost of a health care plan for educators and their dependents through June 2027, not including dental and vision. The amount paid by the district to cover that plan in 2027 would become the floor, with employees becoming responsible for any increase in costs in the years after.
At the most recent bargaining session, Twin Rivers leaders demanded that the union accept their offer on health care before discussing any other pieces of the contract.
A woman wearing a Twin Rivers United Educators T-shirt participates in a joint march with Natomas teachers across Tower Bridge in Sacramento on Thursday as a part of their strike against their respective districts. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com What do Twin Rivers teachers make now?
Twin Rivers teacher salaries start at $64,000 and cap at $124,000. The median teacher salary in the district is $98,000, according to 2024-25 data.
What do Twin Rivers teachers pay for the health insurance premiums?
Twin Rivers teachers report that they pay up to $20,000 per year in health care costs for their families, significantly reducing their total compensation package compared to Sacramento City Unified, where teachers receive fully-paid health care benefits.
Is the district “skimming” from teachers’ salaries?
The union has accused Twin Rivers of running a “skim scam” because the district spends less than 55 cents of every education dollar on teachers salaries, as is required by California law. All but four districts in the state with enrollment higher than 20,000 meet this threshold. Twin Rivers obtains an annual waiver from the Sacramento County Office of Education to be exempt from this requirement.
Twin Rivers has lawfully obtained these waivers from the county Office of Education annually since 2019 on the basis that its salaries are competitive with the local market. The union is still critical of the practice, saying that Twin Rivers should not qualify for the exemption since the cost of health care puts their teachers’ compensation below the market rate of other districts.
In February, the district’s independent auditor recommended that it adjust spending to align with the 55% threshold.
Why doesn’t the district meet the union’s demands?
Twin Rivers leaders point to the fact that their offer aligns with an independent fact-finder’s recommendations. The report also suggests that the compensation at Twin Rivers is similar to districts in the area of a similar size and that meeting the union’s demands could mean a cut to programs for students and possible layoffs.
What does Twin River’s top administrator make?
Superintendent Steve Martinez received a salary of $377,000 in 2024 with a total compensation package worth $529,000. He is the only employee at the district who receives fully-paid health care benefits for his family.
Martinez announced last month that he would step down from the district after more than a decade as superintendent. His last day is Oct. 31.
How does Twin Rivers teacher pay compare to other Sacramento-area districts?
The median salary at Twin Rivers is similar to the median salary offered at other large districts in the area.
The Sacramento Bee
Jennah Pendleton is an education reporter for The Sacramento Bee. She previously covered schools and culture in the San Francisco Bay Area. She grew up in Orange County and is a graduate of the University of Oregon.