LOS ALAMITOS : Schools Delay Action on Salaries Proposal

Teachers at the Los Alamitos Unified School District may have to wait a little longer before the district can present a salary proposal at the bargaining table, officials said this week.

David E. Hatton, assistant superintendent of personnel, said the district needs more information on the amount of state funding for the 1992-93 school year before a salary proposal can be presented to the Los Alamitos Education Assn., which represents the teachers.

“We’re still analyzing the state budget and waiting for guidelines from the state,” Hatton said. However, he said, the salary proposal may be ready in a month.

The teachers are in the third year of a three-year contract. The pact stipulates that the salary structure to be “reopened” every year for adjustments.

Hatton said the teachers received a 6.25% pay increase in the 1990-91 school year and 6% in 1991-92. There are no floors or ceilings in determining the pay raises, he said.

Jan Baker, president of the teachers’ association, said the teachers concur with the position of the school board to analyze the state budget first before presenting a salary proposal.

Baker said relations between teachers and the board have always been good. She added that teachers are “realistic” about the amount of raises they will get.

The school board opened the salary proposal for a public hearing Tuesday. However, except for a one-paragraph notice which said that the proposal will be presented at the bargaining table when more information is provided by the state, there were no other details.

No one spoke during the public hearing.

Hatton said there was one meeting with the teachers in April, but they decided to wait until after the state budget was approved before going further.