Ocean View School District approves 10% pay raise for all employees

The Ocean View School District Board of Trustees approved a 10% pay raise for all district employees at its meeting on Tuesday night.

The historic pay raise was part of the contract between the district and the Ocean View Teachers Assn. for the 2022-23 school year.

In a 4-1 vote, President Gina Clayton-Tarvin, Vice President Patricia Singer, trustee John Briscoe and clerk Jack Souders voted to approve the contract. Trustee Norm Westwell was in opposition.

The contract includes a 10% ongoing pay raise and 2% ongoing benefits increase, retroactive to July 1. The district has not been able to provide a double-digit raise for its employees in more than 20 years, Clayton-Tarvin said.

In fact, she said, when she was first elected to the board in 2012, district employees had not received a raise in several years, and the relationship between the board and labor groups was particularly poor.

“We felt like if the money is being given to us and we’re in good financial shape, and we know we’re at the bottom of the pay in Orange County, it’s time,” she said. “There was no better time in the history of the Ocean View School District to give this sort of compensation package than right now.”

Ocean View School District has two preschools, 10 elementary schools and four middle schools. It largely serves Huntington Beach but also has campuses in Fountain Valley, Westminster and Midway City.

Gina Clayton-Tarvin, the current president of the Ocean View School District board, takes a tour of a room at Marine View Middle School in November 2021.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

The district has 885 employees, OVSD public information manager Trish Montgomery said. Under the new salary schedule for 2022-23, teachers would be paid between $49,092 and $121,546 per year, depending on years worked and degrees/credentials and units earned.

All district employees have also been moved from a Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Assn. (VEBA) trust to a CalPERS health insurance plan.

“About two-thirds of our employees are going to be getting an added $300 to $500 in their pocket per month, that they would have had to pay out because our benefits were so bad,” Clayton-Tarvin said. “That was all the great creative thinking and negotiation genius of [Supt.] Dr. Michael Conroy.”

Conroy noted in a statement that times are rough economically, with high inflation rates.

“An increase in wages and better benefits for our employees couldn’t come at a more fortuitous time,” Conroy said. “I’d like to sincerely thank our Board of Trustees for making this happen.”

Both the OVSD certificated and classified unions unanimously approved the new compensation package contract.

Clayton-Tarvin praised the state Legislature for providing the money for the district’s general fund to support the raises.

“Inflation is literally crippling California, crippling the nation,” she said. “But instead of wringing their hands, they decided to use our budget surplus wisely and let it come down to the school districts to use via local control.”

Singer said during discussion at Tuesday’s meeting she was excited that the district was supporting its classified and certificated employees.

“We know that they need this,” she said. “Inflation is out of control. Anybody can go grocery shopping right now, and you’re paying a crazy amount. My kids go through eggs like water, OK, so I’m feeling it, I’m sure you’re all feeling it. I’m really ecstatic that we’re able to do this.”

In opposition, Westwell said he supported OVSD employees but not this particular contract.

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