FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Teachers Again Get No Increase in Pay

Both sides have agreed to a Fountain Valley School District contract that provides teachers no improvements in insurance benefits and no pay raises.

District trustees last week approved the contract with the Fountain Valley Education Assn. for the 1994-95 school year. Members of the association, which represents 260 employees and includes regular and special education teachers, nurses and psychologists, voted June 2 to approve the contract agreement.

Judie Lowman, president of the association, said it has now been four years since the employees had a raise.

But Lowman said the employees realize that the district has financial problems.

“Our living expenses are going up, too, but we understand you can’t get blood out of a turnip. We’re still a declining district with less students each year,” Lowman said.

“When they look at cutting programs to balance the budget, it’s unrealistic to ask them to come up with a raise.”

In a report to trustees, district officials said financial support from the state is the worst it has been in 22 years. Trustees agreed, saying that unfortunately there is no money for raises.

“They have been very understanding of our situation and we very much appreciate it. It’s not easy to go that long without a raise,” said Board of Trustees President Robert Sedlak.

Lowman said that insurance coverage for the employees didn’t change under the new contract but that some employees will pay more for insurance coverage for their dependents.

An addition to the contract offers a voluntary retirement plan that provides income incentives for tenured employees if they leave their jobs at age 55, Lowman said.

She said it is the first time the retirement plan has been offered.

The benefit would be that retirees get a supplement to their retirement income by retiring early, Lowman said. On the other hand, the district can replace tenured teachers with new teachers at lower pay.

“Everybody wins,” she said.