HUNTINGTON BEACH : Parents Challenge Schools’ Bonus Plan

A small but angry group of parents this week challenged Ocean View School District’s proposal to give all employees a onetime 1% salary bonus.

The parents argued that the bonus money, which district officials said would total $270,000, should be spent on educational programs instead.

After a lengthy discussion of the issue by the Board of Trustees this week, members were skeptical about the proposal, board President Lottie Hobbs said. Trustees are to vote on the measure at their Feb. 19 meeting.

The issue stems from a clause in the contract agreed upon last year between the district and its teachers union. The clause says that if district funds from a supplemental state grant are not restricted for certain uses, teachers are to receive the bonus.

A similar clause was included in the district’s settlement with its other employees’ union, which represents clerical workers, custodians, bus drivers and most other non-teaching employees.

The supplemental state grants can be spent only on 27 specific educational programs, Supt. Monte McMurray said. However, the district has used some of the grant money to pay for previously budgeted programs, so general fund money has been made available for the bonuses, he said.

McMurray said the district is not contractually required to pay the stipends, but “in the spirit of the intent of the agreement,” it has agreed to do so. Administrators have also been included among the employees scheduled to receive the bonus, he said.

Because of the appearance that the district is tapping grant funds set aside for educational programs to pay salaries, eight parents at the board meeting urged trustees to reject the proposal.

“It’s truly unfortunate . . . but I can sure understand (why) the public perception about this issue is that it’s a choice between programs and salaries,” Hobbs said. She added, however, “that’s not the way I view it. It’s not that simple.”