Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Board, teachers resolve differences, sort of

Neither teachers nor the administration was happy after the special session of the Prescott School Board Tuesday, May 4.

The meeting had been scheduled to adopt a calendar for the 2004-2005 school year as well as personnel issues dealing with benefits for certified and classified staff.

When the smoke cleared, the board accepted the calendar, and approved the personnel policy handbook, except for the retirement and sick day proposals. These issues, for the certified staff, will be addressed at a later date.

For the classified staff, the board approved the policy manual, accepting the sick days and bereavement policy, but held off on the salary schedule for para-professionals until the district knows how much it will receive in Title I money from the state and federal government.

It was explained the amount the district would get is tied to the results of the Benchmark exams, and this won't be known until sometime in July or later.

However, reaching these decisions was anything but easy as the meeting lasted more than two hours. Donna Smith, representing the Personnel Policy Committee, got things kicked off after the calendar was approved, by saying the certified staff needs its 12 sick days per year, instead of the 10 proposed by the district, along with the three personal days, not two.

"We've never before, even in lean years with no salary increases," she said, "had an administration or a school board take benefits away from the staff. These are benefits that were negotiated in good faith and some of them have been part of the personnel policy for years."

Smith pointed out the certified PPC is an elected body representing the concerns of all certified staff members. The committee, she said, devoted more than 40 hours of personal time to come up with "equitable and affordable recommendations to alleviate concerns."

Kay Hendrix, board president, said the board appreciates the work done by the teachers as well as the teachers themselves. "The board is behind you," she said. "We know you're upset and I'm sorry this happened, but the board is responsible for the entire district. It is held accountable to the state for everything."

The board and administration, she said, doesn't want to keep money from the teachers, and want Prescott's teachers to top in pay, but also wants the district to be top in test scores.

The board, she said, accepted the PPC's recommendation for bereavement days and the sick bank.

However, the board proposed giving one sick day for each month worked, based on a 190-day contract, and only two personal days instead of three.

Pearl Bailey said she loses sick days each year by not missing work, and doesn't take personal days. "I don't mind losing days, but if a person is sick, they need those days. I'm happy not to have to use those days."

Hendrix agreed the topic of sick and personal days was a hot issue, but pointed out the district has been forced to pay for unfunded mandates by the state and federal government.

When asked how much the district would save by reducing the number of sick and personal days, Prescott Superintendent Hyacinth Deon, said figures weren't run on how much would be saved.

The administration, she said, is working to reverse the district's financial slide. The bottom line, she said, was to either do this or reduce staff, but added the board's vote on policies doesn't shut the door on these issues forever.

Smith said the PPC did a "step-up" policy adding benefits for the teachers with more experience, as the new laws give more money to younger teachers with less experience. The breakdown was those with 1-10 years experience in the district would receive 25 percent of their daily pay for sick days when the district buys them back. Those with 11-20 years would get 30 percent and teachers with 21 or more years experience would be paid 35 percent.

Ruby Hart spoke up, saying she'd rather have a smaller raise and keep her benefits. It was pointed out, however, the minimum amount of raises is mandated by the state.

It was a little calmer with the classified personnel.

Earnestine Johnson, representing the classified PPC, asked the board to keep the sick bank as it currently is for classified personnel, along with leaving the bereavement days alone.

She said the classified staff will work 190 days and accept 10 sick days, but wanted the district to pay more to those aides who obtained associate degrees.

Deon said if McRae Middle School is placed on the improvement list it will have to set 20 percent of its budget aside to try and get off the list. Should this happen, she said, MMS may not have the money for instructional aides.

Deon suggested the board leave this issue alone until the district knows how much it will get from the federal government for Title I programs.

Following a brief executive session, the board accepted the resignation of Linda Whitmarsh, June Johnson and Amanda Orpeza. Head Coach Greg Smith was named athletic director for the district.