Saddleback College District Elections

As trustee of the Saddleback Community College District, we write to address recent candidates’ statements printed in The Times, the Voter Information Pamphlet and elsewhere.

South county residents intending to cast their votes for Saddleback Community College District trustees should be aware before entering the polling booth that the “Orange County Citizens for Quality Education” is the name of the political action committee of the local teachers union. This group has at its disposal close to $60,000 of union funds to spend in an attempt to unseat incumbent trustees.

The union-backed candidates claim in several published statements, including those in the Voter Information Pamphlet, that trustees voted for a “17% salary increase” to administrators but resisted even modest salary adjustments for classroom teachers. In point of fact, only the district’s chancellor, Dr. Richard Sneed, received a 17% raise. At the time, he was the lowest-paid chancellor in the county and remains so even after this raise. He had received no pay increase during the previous year. All employees, teachers included, have received cost-of-living increases.

Total administrative costs throughout the district are lower now--even allowing for inflation--than they were 4 years ago. And the full-time faculty in our district continues to enjoy the highest salaries and lowest class sizes not only in the county but virtually throughout the state.

JOHN CONNOLLY

SHIRLEY GELLATLY

JOAN HUETER

ROBERT MOORE

IRIS SWANSON

HARRIETT WALTHER

Saddleback Community College

District Trustees