Teacher, San Carlos Elementary School District impasse could lead to strike

If a resolution isn’t found, the teachers could call for a strike in three weeks. A strike during the summer wouldn’t actually begin until the first day of school in the fall.

On Thursday night, the Board of Trustees will vote to reserve its right to reduce employee compensation — for both teachers and other employees. Since negotiations with both employee groups are at impasse, the district must make such a move before the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1, said Superintendent Craig Baker. Baker noted, if necessary, such cuts would not be made until September.

Baker added he hoped the negotiations did not get to a strike.

Dan Liner, San Carlos Teachers Association president, is discouraged by how negotiations have gone thus far.

The district has a healthy reserve that could be used to cover the losses, rather than balancing the budget on the back of teachers, said Liner.

"We don’t feel like teachers are valued,” he said, adding they are expected to be good worker bees who will do the same level of work while taking the cuts because they are professional.

Overall, the district is looking at $2.85 million in cuts. Eighteen teachers within the district had their positions reduced or eliminated as part of the plan. The board also voted to maintain the vice principal positions as full-time, rather than part-time as had previously been suggested.

Baker noted the district made $1.85 million in cuts before starting negotiations with employees. On the other hand, Liner expressed pressure to make the $1 million remaining cuts from teachers.

In the 2008-09 school year, teachers in San Carlos made between $44,946 and $85,330 annually, with an average salary of $65,284, according to the California Department of Education.

Such cuts would be greatly felt by the teachers, said Liner who added he was unsure if residents truly understood the impact on teachers.

A fact finding report from a third party about negotiations, which was made public yesterday afternoon, agreed with the district’s proposal of a 4.08 percent salary decrease.

The salary decrease would come from freezing regularly-scheduled salary increases, increasing class sizes in kindergarten through third grade from 20:1 to 24:1, and taking four furlough days. The recommendation was nearly identical to that proposed by the district, according to the fact finding report.

Teachers had previously countered with a proposal for seven furlough days — four school days, two teacher in service days and one optional furlough day — while increasing class sizes by two students. Doing so would make parents in the district understand the financial hardship facing local education, the teachers union argued in the report.

Should the district budget shortfall be less than anticipated, it is recommended that the papers be equally compensated for the increased revenue. Should the needed cuts be increased, the district should pull funds from its reserves to cover the costs, according to the report.

The Board of Trustees will discuss the report tonight.

Such a report is advisory, explained Ara Prigian, California Teachers Association chapter services consultant.

Prigian and Liner proposed any money raised by the education foundation above the original fundraising goals should be put toward the $1 million budget gap. Being that it’s summer, the union has beefed up its communication with members and parents via e-mail to keep all involved abreast of possible changes in contract talks.

The board meets 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 24 at the Central Middle School library, 828 Chestnut St. in San Carlos.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.