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SDLA Compliance Resource

Publicly Disclose Collective Bargaining Agreements Before Approval

An implementation guide for disclosing the costs of a proposed bargaining agreement at a public meeting, giving the county office its review time, and revising the budget after settlement.

  • Fiscal & Budget
  • Human Resources
  • Governance & Board Approval
Date(s)Event-triggered: disclosure at a public meeting before the board approves the agreement; county review at least 10 working days before approval for qualified or negative districts (and as county instructions require); budget revisions within 45 days after settlement
Applies toSchool districts and county offices as public school employers

In Plain Language: Before the board approves a contract with an employee bargaining unit, the major provisions and their costs for this year and future years must be disclosed at a public meeting using the state format (the 'AB 1200 disclosure'). Districts with a qualified or negative certification must give the county office at least 10 working days to review and comment. Many county offices ask every district to submit the disclosure in advance. After settlement, the budget must be revised to cover the cost.

Why this matters

If the district does not adopt budget revisions to pay for the agreement, the county must certify the next interim qualified or negative. A rushed disclosure that understates costs is one of the most common paths into fiscal distress.

Joint ownership

District: HR/labor relations negotiates; the chief business official costs the agreement and signs the disclosure; the superintendent certifies; the board approves. County office: reviews and comments.

From a tentative agreement to a disclosed, budgeted settlement: the SDLA ITO workflow

This workflow makes the cost of every agreement visible before the board votes. This SDLA ITO (Input, Transformation, Output) graphic shows how the inputs become the outputs in 9 steps.

SDLA ITO: 9 steps. Input: tentative agreement; salary and benefit data; county disclosure workbook. Transformation: cost the agreement; submit for county review; public disclosure and approval. Output: signed disclosure; budget revisions; updated MYP.
Read down each column, then move to the next: Input identifies what to collect; Transformation covers cost the agreement; submit for county review; public disclosure and approval; Output delivers signed disclosure; budget revisions; updated MYP. Disclose before approval; give the county its review window; revise the budget after settlement.

Open the full-size workflow graphic

Implementation workflow

  1. Tentative agreementCost it.Complete the county disclosure workbook.
  2. 10+ working days before the boardCounty review.Submit to the county office when required.
  3. Board meetingDisclose and approve.Disclose costs publicly, then approve the agreement.
  4. After settlementRevise the budget.Adopt budget revisions and send them to the county as required.
  5. Next interimReflect costs.Include the settlement in the interim certification.

Bargaining disclosure checklist

  • Current-year county disclosure form used.
  • Current and subsequent-year costs included.
  • County review window met when required.
  • Disclosure made at a public meeting before approval.
  • Budget revisions adopted after settlement.

Official guidance and help

Source review completed October 25, 2026. Verify your county office's current disclosure workbook and submission timeline.