Norwalk : Lottery-Funds Proposal

The Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District has balked at requests by two employee unions that most or all of its California Lottery allocations for the school year be used for teachers’ salaries.

The district, which received a $998,745 first-quarter allocation, “proposes that the emphasis expenditure of lottery funds be for the education of pupils . . . of the school district,” according to the statement adopted Monday.

However, that doesn’t mean lottery funds won’t be shared with the unions, said William Campbell, the district’s director of personnel. “What we’re trying to tell the unions is that we’re not going to give them all the money. We will share with them, but we do have other programs we’re concerned about.”

The Teachers Assn. of the Norwalk-La Mirada Area submitted a proposal on Feb. 3 asking that all of the money be used for a general salary increase, a $500 bonus for some teachers and per diem pay for teachers who attend district-sponsored workshops on their days off. But the association’s proposal also said that “teachers will retreat from their initial position of asking that 100% of the expected lottery money be expended for teacher salary items” when the district shows a willingness to use some of the lottery income for teacher benefits.

The California School Employees Assn., which represents aides and secretarial staff, also submitted a proposal, Campbell said. He added that a third union representing custodians and maintenance and cafeteria workers has not made a formal request for any of the lottery funds.