Beverly Hills : $200,000 Raised for Schools

Beverly Hills parents have raised nearly $200,000 toward teacher and other employee salaries, the school district has announced.

The money has been collected in a special fund of the Beverly Hills Education Foundation. The fund raising has been spearheaded by the Children First parents group, formed during the teacher strike last fall.

Parents on Tuesday reiterated their promise to raise up to $600,000. The money will be used to offer a 2% bonus to all district employees for the 1989-90 school year, under the agreement between the teachers union and the district. Any parents’ money left over will be distributed as a bonus or used to defray the cost of medical benefits in 1990-91.

The school district reported Tuesday that a parcel tax, another key element of the teachers settlement, will have to generate about $4.3 million each year for the next five years to maintain current programs in Beverly Hills schools.

The amount of the tax, which would be levied on all parcels of land in the city, and the length of time it would be collected will be proposed by the school board Jan. 23. The tax measure will be placed on the June ballot and must be approved by two-thirds of the voters.

If the tax passes, teachers will get a 3% increase built into their salary schedule in 1990-91 and will not face any increase in teaching minutes.