FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Teachers Face 3rd Year Without Raises

Trustees of the Fountain Valley School District this week set a public hearing to approve a contract for teachers that includes no raises or benefits for the third consecutive year because of dwindling revenue.

The contract shows little change from last year’s pact, except for more flexibility in teacher planning, said Marc Ecker, assistant to Supt. Ruben L. Ingram.

The board has already cut $400,000 from the district’s $25-million budget this year, leaving no room for salary increases, he said. Teachers have not received a pay increase in three years, and managers have not received raises in six years, Ecker said.

“Fountain Valley is not in good shape,” he said.

Ecker also said teachers will pay more out of their pocket for their benefits, because the cost of medical plans is going up.

The financial situation leaves Fountain Valley teachers among the lowest paid in elementary school districts in the county. They were near the top just five or six years ago, Ecker said.

The district’s salary range is $22,334 for a starting teacher to $47,848 for a teacher with 60 units toward a master’s degree and 18 years of experience. Many Fountain Valley teachers earn at or near the top of the salary scale because of their experience, Ecker said.

The proposed contract calls for giving teachers a cost-of-living increase if the state provides money specifically for that purpose, said teacher Judith Lowman, president of the Fountain Valley Education Assn. The district employs 300 certificated teachers, including special-education and English Language Acquisition teachers.

The public hearing to approve the final contract is planned June 25.

The district is bracing for a 5% cut when the state passes its budget, Ingram said. In that case, the district would have to cut an additional $875,000 from its budget.

The board last week agreed to cut one classified worker and one school psychologist from the payroll. Two psychologists who hold teacher’s credentials were moved back into the classroom, Ecker said.

“No teacher layoffs are planned, but we’re still waiting to find out what the state is going to do to us,” Ecker said. The state will allow school districts to cut personnel in August if that is the only way they can meet their budgets.