Worries over the state budget and the cost of insurance still
occupy officials at the County Office of Education.
At its monthly Board meeting Thursday night, County
Superintendent Tim Foley reported on projections of Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s budget, which was released Friday, and the state
of the county’s medical bargaining unit.
Worries over the state budget and the cost of insurance still occupy officials at the County Office of Education.
At its monthly Board meeting Thursday night, County Superintendent Tim Foley reported on projections of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget, which was released Friday, and the state of the county’s medical bargaining unit.
Early word was out Thursday that Schwarzenegger’s budget would keep all Proposition 98 funding for next year, but educators agreed to forgo half of the funding – about $2 billion – Foley said after participating in a conference call with all 58 county superintendents Thursday afternoon. Proposition 98, passed in 1988, establishes a minimum funding level or guarantee for K-12 education and community colleges.
“This will cover growth and COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for everyone,” Foley said. “He (Schwarzenegger) did an end run around the Legislature (to do this). He’s taken 40 percent of the (state’s) budget off the table for discussion.”
In addition to the budget shortfall, county districts are also confronted with increased costs – mainly in insurance.
At its Dec. 9 Board meeting, Hollister School District Trustees voted 5-0 “to direct the superintendent, pending legal advice, to withdraw” from the Joint Powers Authority. The JPA is the collective bargaining unit for health insurance for all county public schools. The HSD is the biggest participant in the JPA.
“We felt the JPA has been a little one-sided in regards to the amount of money the Hollister School District has to pay,” Trustee Alice Flores said after the meeting. “Some things need to be made equitable. We’re looking at our options and possibilities.”
At Thursday night’s meeting, Foley informed the Board that the HSD is still a member of the JPA. The district was asked to withdraw from the JPA by its certificated employee negotiating team, Foley said. The district had to do so by Dec. 31, so the decision was made quickly without all the facts, Foley said.
“It was done without the full information,” Foley said. “They didn’t realize that they couldn’t take their money with them.”
The HSD’s decision sent a “ripple” throughout the community, Foley said, because current and retired employees across the county were unsure of the JPA’s collective bargaining power without the largest school district in the county, Foley said. Rates may have gone up without the district, Foley said.
Also, the County Office of Education disclosed the settlements between the office and classified and certificated negotiation teams.
Both certificated and classified employees will receive a 3-percent increase on their salary schedule effective July 2003. The estimated cost is $36,000 for certificated and $45,000 for classified, and will come from ongoing revenue.
“This tells publicly what the impact will be,” Foley said about the disclosure. “This is within our budget. We were very lucky to settle in 40 minutes – other districts have not been that lucky. We’re also lucky to be able to give this (in such unsure and tight financial times).”
In closed session after the meeting, trustees discussed Foley’s contract. Since both the trustees and superintendent are elected positions, they work in a partnership. In most school districts, the superintendent is hired by the Board and, thus, answers to the Board.
Foley was asking for a raise similar to what certificated and classified employees received, he said.
After the 30-minute closed session, the Board returned to open session and voted 5-0 to accept Foley’s contract. His salary for the 2004-05 year is $121,360, a 5-percent increase from last year, he said.
In other business:
– Trustee Joan Campbell-Garcia discussed her interest in participating in a Masters in Governance Program, a type of professional development for school board members and superintendents offered through the California School Boards Association. Graduates do not get an actual master’s degree, but they can share what they learn with local board members and school districts, Foley said. Cost is $180 per workshop which the County Office of Education covers.
– There were no public comments.
– Trustee Mitch Dabo discussed different measures that will be on the March ballot, including Proposition 55, a $12-million school facilities bond, and Proposition 56, the Budget Accountability Act.
The next Board meeting is Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. at the Office of Education, 460 Fifth St.
