The William S. Hart Union High School District governing board unanimously approved a 1.5% salary bump for teachers for the 2025-26 school year and announced Golden Valley High School’s new principal following Sal Frias’ promotion to the district office during Wednesday’s meeting.
The district and the Hart District Teachers Association agreed upon terms for contract negotiations including a 1.5% salary increase to unit members for the contract term effective as of July 1 and ending on June 30, 2026. The salary increase applies to teachers, and other staff personnel including certified employees, administration, custodial staff and others, according to the governing board meeting agenda.
Including the increase, employees will also receive an off-schedule payment of $1,314 per HDTA member, $718 per California School Employees Association member, and $1,953 per management member, according to a letter from the Los Angeles County Office of Education attached to the agenda items.
Along with the salary increase, both entities reached an agreement for five other sections within the contract which included class size, paid leaves, life insurance, special education, and teachers on special assignments and program specialists, according to the agenda and assistant superintendent of business services Jon Carrino.
The salary increase in total for all district personnel would cost $6.14 million and will be paid through the district’s general fund, according to the L.A. County Office of Education letter. It also noted that district officials should exercise caution “due to the deficit spending trend and reliance on Fund 17 to meet the minimum reserve requirement in future years”
Governing board member Joe Messina made the motion for the approval of the salary increase and it was seconded by board member Aakash Ahuja.
The governing board also unanimously appointed Jennifer Ambrose as Golden Valley High School’s newest principal, and also named two assistant principals for Saugus High School and Canyon High School.
Ambrose is not new to the Golden Valley campus, as she served as the assistant principal alongside Frias for 11 years, and during the meeting she said she was ready to fill in some big shoes and shape the school’s environment and culture, leading toward student and teacher success.
Ambrose began her educational career as a science teacher at Hart High School in 2004, and then went to Canyon High School to serve in additional roles such as the ASB director, induction mentor and professional development team member, said Deputy Superintendent of Human Resources Collyn Nielsen.
From 2011 to 2014 she served in the district as a consulting teacher providing support and guidance to current staff and shortly after joined the Golden Valley Grizzlies as the assistant principal. Ambrose has a bachelor’s degree in science from California State University, Long Beach, a master’s degree in cross-cultural education from National University and a master’s degree in educational administration from California State University, Northridge.
The motion to approve the appointment was made by board member Erin Wilson and seconded by Bob Jensen, which was quickly followed by congratulatory applause from the board and those in the audience.
Anna Konopliv and Marisa Lucero were also appointed as the two newest assistant principals. Konopliv will be the new assistant principal for Canyon High and previously served as a mathematics teacher and administrative intern at Castaic High School. She has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in education from UCLA, and also earned her administrative credential from the University of La Verne, according to Nielsen.
Lucero was appointed as the assistant principal for Saugus High and brings 24 years of experience to the role with helping the district’s most in-need students succeed, according to a Hart district news release, which added that she earned a bachelor’s degree in French and government from Claremont McKenna College, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Phoenix, and a master’s degree in educational administration and her administrative credential from CSUN.
