Dispute Between Teachers and Board

There is a dispute between the school board and administration and the teachers in South Bay Union High School District concerning a new master contract for the 1991-92 school year. The board and administration have been telling people that the district is in dire financial straits and that they are unable to provide the economic benefits sought by teachers. Hopefully, this letter will provide the teachers’ perspective.

Teachers in the SBUHSD know that the state is suffering through a severe economic crisis. Schools are experiencing a sharp loss in revenue. These circumstances necessitate the setting of priorities in a strict and forceful manner. The Board of Education and the district administration have not shown this type of leadership.

Expenditures in the district represent a litany of questionable priorities, many verging on the indefensible. Relocating and redesigning the district offices cost more than $400,000. Numbers of district administrators have not decreased since 1970, when the schools had twice the number of students and an additional comprehensive high school. Administrators have seen their salaries stay well ahead of inflation while teachers have seen a net loss of salary. Car allowances are allotted to each administrator at an annual loss of $19,000 to student programs.

Expensive lawyers are hired to take on losing lawsuits. A district publicist is hired to work 48 hours per month and is paid $20,000 per year. An annuity is paid out of public funds to the superintendent, stripping another $19,000 from the district budget. (Dr. (Jerold) Goddard’s heart-tugging explanation was that the board did not want the superintendent to have to go out and pay for his own annuity after he graciously froze his salary, though not his benefits, at $87,276 per year.) Finally, the school board went into negotiations with the retiring assistant superintendent for post-retirement “consulting fees.” An agreement to pay $5,000 per month was reached and approved unanimously by the board. The board was willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a retiring administrator to train his handpicked replacement who had little or no experience in school district finance, while department budgets have been slashed to approximately 80 cents per student after duplicating costs. This unbelievably arrogant decision was overturned due, in large part, to the outraged cries of teachers.

Teachers are not asking for the impossible. We don’t want an enormous salary increase. We simply don’t want to continue to lose money. We want to have adequate budgets to continue the quality education the South Bay communities have come to expect, and deserve. We want priorities set that put students and teachers first and recognize and reject frivolous or unnecessary expenditures. The public of the South Bay has not been well served and it is time to let your voices be heard.

For the Executive Board of the Beach Cities Secondary Teachers:

BILL FAUVER, Vice president