Support staff settles,teachers holding out

Ever since the district received $3.1 million in state funding this May to make up for previously underfunded years, a fight has ensued between district officials and teachers over the distribution of those funds. Teachers have called for a 10.3 percent pay hike, and have accused the district of hiding available funds and putting their priorities into funding programs rather than teachers. The district has countered that it only has 3.5 percent for all district staff -- any greater raise would mean programs must be cut. And it is district policy that the first to go would be classified staff -- including clerks, custodians and instructional aides.

The 422 classified employees in the district settled quickly on the 3.5 percent raise, believing that a larger increase would mean classified staff cuts. They say they have read through the district budget and believe the word of Superintendent Rick Damelio that additional funds are simply not there.

"Our point has been from the beginning that we wanted to settle this as soon as we could, so that people can benefit right away ... We don't believe that there's money hidden somewhere -- we've been in the books," said Sue Morales, a food service worker and co-president of CSEA. "We feel that given the resources the district has, this is a fair settlement."

Superintendent Rick Damelio said he is also pleased with the settlement.

"It went quite well. They do their homework -- they try to understand the financial conditions of the school district. And any organization is only as good as the people in it. All of our staff, regardless of the positions they're in, make a tremendous contribution to the school district. ... And we're certainly pleased we were able to provide additional compensation, but they're still underpaid and we wish we could do more," Damelio said.

Classified staff said that the 3.5 percent increase, on top of the three percent raise from their prior contract signed last year, puts them at middle range salaries for classified staff in districts throughout the county. But they have the same difficulties as teachers in retaining staff, which puts extra pressure on co-workers.

"Everyone else does the work and you have to pay astronomical to contract it out," said classified worker Sue Iveson.

The teachers have remained quite detached from classified staff's position on salary increases. Many of them are vaguely aware of how pay raises may affect the jobs of classified employees. But news of the classified employee settlement with the district had some teachers concerned because if they continue to hold out for a raise higher than 3.5 percent, then that effort will bump the classified worker's wages as well. It's district policy that all staff members, regardless of classification, receive the same percentage pay hike.

"They are ready to take the money and run, and I can't say I blame them -- it's right before the holidays," said Nancy Hammer, a teacher at Baywood and past president of the teacher's union. "I can understand how they would feel like, 'we just need to do our own thing.' And I know that policy has been that whatever the teachers settle on that is what everyone gets. That begins to feel not good when you're out there by yourself."

Hammer said that the district should not be cutting anyone's job -- there's other fat in programs that could go first.

"Teachers don't want custodians and secretary jobs cut because that makes teachers have to do their job. So teachers are very much in support of the people that we work with. I think that people should be the ones that get the primary support and the value -- whether that is support staff or teachers," Hammer said.

But classified staff said that teachers and the district should really be demanding that the state give schools more money instead of fighting over the few scraps that are left. Until state funding increases, it's a matter of being practical about the amount of money the district has now.

"You can only get so much juice out of the orange -- you have to settle for the rind," Thelma Acia, a spokesperson for CSEA said.

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