GLENDALE : School Board Solves Pay Hike Dispute

Glendale School Board members have ended a controversy over their $350 monthly pay raise by voting publicly to enact a board policy that automatically gives them a hike without discussion.

“My hope is that we can put this subject to bed, heal our differences . . . and provide the best education we can for our young people here,” said board Vice President Sharon R. Beauchamp during Tuesday night’s meeting.

Trustees of the Glendale Unified School District discussed their increase--from $400 to $750 a month--for the first time in public Tuesday. The discussion was in response to an allegation by the Glendale Teachers Assn. that board members accepted the raise in the summer in a closed session--an alleged violation of the state’s Ralph M. Brown Act.

An attorney for the union had threatened last month to file suit against the board if it failed to rescind the raise in 30 days.

Board members denied that any vote or secret meetings were held. They also wrote a letter dated Oct. 25 explaining to the union that the stipend was discussed during a publicly posted May 14 study session.

“There was no wrongdoing,” said Jeanne Bentley, the board’s clerk. “There were no secret meetings and no voting.”

Board members voted 4 to 1 for a motion that rescinded whatever action the board had taken after 1985 regarding increased compensation, wiping out any challenges to what it may or may not have done in the past.

The approved motion also confirmed a board policy that allows an automatic hike in stipend of up to $750 a month once district enrollment surpasses 25,000. The district passed that margin in 1991, but the motion called for increased compensation to be retroactive only to July 1, 1992.

Board member Lynda Rocamora voted against the motion, saying she was opposed to the board policy itself.

After the meeting, union officials said they were pleased to see the matter discussed in a public meeting and withdrew their threat of filing a lawsuit.

“This is what we wanted from them,” said Glendale Teachers Assn. President Sandi Steinberg. “I don’t think this has put a strain in our relationship. I think, if anything, it has opened the doors to communication.”